The Soundtrack Of My Summer
by xoDancingDreamerxo
Summary: It's the summer before Derek and Casey are about to go off to college, so the family decides to spend it in Mexico City. While there, Casey and Derek end up sharing a room, Casey gets a stalker, and Derek figures out just who Casey sees in her dreams.
1. The Great Escape

Title: The Soundtrack of My Summer

Spoilers from: How I Met Your Step-bro and what I've heard about the status of Derek and Casey at the end of season 4. Plus, if you haven't seen season 4 yet, there's a lot of that in here too.

Summary: It's the summer before Derek and Casey are about to go off to college, so the family decides to spend it in Mexico City. While there, Casey and Derek end up sharing a room, Casey gets a stalker, and Derek figures out just who Casey sees in her dreams.

A/N: The story switches POV's sometimes, so don't let yourself get too confused. And oh yeah... The chapter titles, and the title for the whole fanfic, are based on songs by Boys Like Girls, one of my favorite bands. If you haven't heard of them, you really need to check them out. They're incredible!

Disclaimer: I do not own Life with Derek or Boys Like Girls, but I sure as hell wish I did!

Chapter 1- The Great Escape

(Casey's POV)

Graduation was one of the sappiest moments of my life. I literally spent three hours after the ceremony crying my eyes out with Emily and promising her that we would always keep in touch- even when we're too old to visit, too tired to call, and _way_ too gray to ever look as good as we do now.

Of course, none of that mattered to Derek, my dearest step-brother who I truly believe is the spawn of Satan, brought onto this earth just to cause my demise. He's spent the last few days laughing at my pitiful tears. I couldn't believe he didn't get the least bit choked up at graduation! Even _Sam_ cried! But no! Hugs, tears, and feel-good family moments are _way_ too good for types like Derek.

So when Mom and George announced yesterday morning that the entire family was finally taking that trip to Mexico that we couldn't afford last winter, I almost thought that Derek would've preferred staying home. After all, one last summer of family bonding before we're shipped off to college doesn't mean anything to him.

But to my surprise, Derek was thrilled about going! Probably because he knew there'd be plenty of single girls in Mexico for him to get his hands on. It wouldn't matter to him one bit that he already had a girlfriend- Emily, _my _best friend.

Which brings me to what I'm doing now. Packing. After George announced that we were spending not just a week but the entire summer in Mexico, I couldn't think of anything that I wouldn't need for the trip!

Fortunately for me, Derek solved that problem. Not!

"So, Ready-Mc-Books-A-Lot, did you think about leaving your library at home for the summer?"

"No, Derek," I scoffed. "I have to bring my favorite novels!"

"Come on! It's summer in Mexico! Are you telling me that you're going to be spending the entire time reading?"

"Not the _entire_ time. I'll take a break for dinner, and going to the bathroom."

Derek rolled his eyes and dumped the contents of my entire suitcase, consisting of thirty books and a few pads of paper so I could take notes, onto the floor.

"Derek!"

"What? I did you a favor! At least now you can find a better way to spend your summer than reading your girly chick novels for the thousandth time."

"And I'm guessing you have a suggestion as to how I should be spending my time, My All-Knowing Step-brother?"

"How about having fun? I hear Mexico has some pretty fantastic beaches. Full of hot blondes and babes in bikinis. Man, this summer is gonna be sweet!"

"No babes in bikinis for you, Derek. You already have a girlfriend, remember?"

"Who, Emily?"

"Yes, my best friend, Emily! Don't tell me you broke her heart already!"

"Nobody's heart was broken," Derek sighed, removing the books I had just replaced into my suitcase. "We both knew it was coming. A summer apart, and then off to separate colleges? No relationship could survive that, Case."

"You mean no relationship of _yours_, Der. Truman and I are fully committed to a long-distance relationship."

"You mean Truman, the guy who hit on my ex-girlfriend Kendra, my girlfriend at the time Sally, my last girlfriend Emily, and you just after he first moved here? The guy who ranked girls on a scale by their looks? Yeah, there's no way a guy like that is committing to anything close to a long-distance relationship."

"I'll have you know that I just got off the phone with Truman," I countered, placing the books yet again into my already stuffed suitcase. What does he know about Truman and I? Nothing, I tell you. Nothing!

"And what did the cheating scumbag have to say?"

"I think somebody's jealous," I teased in a sing-song voice. "He said that I was important enough to him that he would wait for me until I came home, and then we would talk on the phone everyday once I was off at college."

"For one, jealous of what? And two, Truman is a lying sack of dirt, and you know it! He just reassured you so you wouldn't call him every second to check up on him! That's what I'd do."

"Don't even go there," I shuddered, imagining Derek as my boyfriend instead of Truman. Yuck! Like a person like me would ever be interested in someone like Derek! "And I think you're jealous of the fact that I'm in a happy relationship while you're still hopping from one girl to another like a tree frog during mating season!"

"Okay, I am definitely not jealous of you and Truman! And what about a frog?"

"Oh never mind," I sighed. Derek's brain took about ten seconds longer than the average person to comprehend something. Which I guess wasn't bad, considering one of his best friends was Ralph, and God only knows how that boy can dress himself in the morning!

"Seriously, Case. This summer is supposed to be a cherished time for some family bonding. Don't you want to make some happy memories with your dear step-brother?"

"Like you're going to Mexico because you want family bonding time!" I laughed. "All you care about is girls, hockey, and more girls."

"And food! Don't forget food."

"You're a pig."

"And you're a neat freak."

"Jerk!"

"Princess!"

"Man-whore!"

"Book-whore!"

"Casey! Derek! Time to leave for the airport!"

"Coming, Nora! See you down there, Space Case."

And with one last dumping of my suitcase, my charming step-brother raced out the room and out of sight.

If I wasn't dreading this family vacation before, I definitely am now.


	2. Top Of The World

Title: The Soundtrack of My Summer

Spoilers from: Season 4.... What's already happened and what I've heard is going to happen. Of course, when you don't like the results... that's what fanfic is for!

Summary: It's the summer before Derek and Casey are about to go off to college, so the family decides to spend it in Mexico City. While there, Casey and Derek end up sharing a room, Casey gets a stalker, and Derek figures out just who Casey sees in her dreams.

A/N: Thank you guys so much for the reviews! Let's keep them going, shall we? And just so you know, I'm going to try to update this story at least every weekend, but you never know what school is going to throw at you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Life with Derek, Boys Like Girls, or the game Clue, but I DO own Mexico City! (Just kidding.)

* * *

Chapter 2- Top Of The World

(Casey's POV)

"Now boarding flight 232, Mexico City."

"If you kids don't hurry it up, we're going to be late!" Nora panicked as we shuffled along toward the gate.

"It's not our fault that the plate in Derek's head kept setting off the metal detector."

"Casey!"

"What? It certainly seems like there's nothing but metal up there!"

As I proceeded to rap my fist against Derek's skull, Nora and George rolled their eyes and pushed Marti onto the airplane.

"Would you stop it?" Derek spat, swatting my hand away. "You're going to mess up my hair."

"Oh, like you spend hours every morning on your hair," I rolled my eyes. Derek pretended like he put so much effort into his tough guy charade, but he didn't have me fooled. In reality, Derek Venturi spent about two minutes running his hands through his hair and the other twenty-eight minutes flexing his non-existent muscles in the mirror in an attempt to piss me off by hogging the bathroom.

"Don't hate me because I'm popular," Derek smirked, running a hand through his messy brown locks.

"Oh, I don't. I hate you because you're an arrogant, self-centered, pig-headed, chauvinistic, bigoted..."

"Okay, you lost me at pig, Space Case. But I think those were insults."

As I laughed at his extremely low intelligence, I noticed that Edwin, Lizzie, and Marti were seated together on one side of the aisle, my mom and George next to an elderly woman on the other side.

This could not be happening.

"Excuse me, but where's your ticket?" a skimpily dressed redhead asked me. She was clearly a flight attendant, and one could only guess that she attended to the men on her plane extremely well.

"Right here," I sighed, flashing her it. "Where am I supposed to sit?"

"Row M, seat number 6. It's a window seat at the very back of the plane! Enjoy!"

As I watched her flounce away, I couldn't help but realize that mom and George had gotten tickets for Derek and I at the very opposite end of the plane.

"I guess they're sick of being around all the fighting," Derek smirked. "It's a nice plus to know I drive more people crazy than just you."

"Come on," I sighed, casting an accusing look at my mother before dragging Derek to the back of the plane. As we proceeded down the aisle, Derek began making faces at the other passengers.

"Call me," he mouthed, and I rolled my eyes in disgust.

"You can't even get on a plane without hitting on the first thing in a skirt."

"That's because I enjoy relishing in the fact that I am irresistible," Derek replied, flashing me his trademark grin as he slid into the seat next to me.

On the other side of Derek sat a gray-haired woman, probably around sixty-five, with a bird on the top of her hat.

"Get ready," Derek whispered, his mouth close to my ear.

"For what?"

"For someone to die! Honestly, look at that woman, Case! She looks like a life-sized Mrs. Peacock!"

"Would you shut up!?" I scolded him as the woman next to Derek turned to face him. I expected her to be angry after Derek had just insulted her hat, but she had an enormous smile on her face.

"Don't you just love airplanes? They can fly, they're free-spirited... why, they're just like birds!"

"Mhm," I smiled, being as polite as possible. Derek, on the other hand...

"Talk about obsessed," he whispered under his breath, and I shoved my elbow into his chest as hard as physically possible.

My sneaky mother and her horrible conspiring husband are _so_ going to get it.

At just that moment, the redhead attendant came on the loudspeaker to instruct us about safety. Following my handout, I paid as close attention as possible, repeating the directions over and over in my head. Derek, on the other hand, seemed to be paying not enough attention on the safety rules and a little too much attention on the woman's cleavage.

As soon as the woman finished talking, we were about to take off. And that's when I remembered that dreadful encounter on an airplane from ten years ago.

"_But Daddy," I complained._

"_Wait until we get to Orlando, then you can have your book back," Dennis replied._

"_But I want to read _now_!"_

"_No, Casey, honey. You'll get airplane-sick."_

"_Airplane-sick? Is that even a word? Because I've read the dictionary, Daddy, and I know it's not in there."_

"_Yes, I know pumpkin. It's just an expression."_

"_Then I promise I won't get airplane-sick. Just please, please give me my book!"_

"_Alright," Dennis sighed, giving in to his seven-year old daughter. "But I have to take care of Liz, so I can't be rushing you to the bathroom every five minutes if you start to feel nauseous."_

"_I know," I told him, rolling my eyes. I wasn't a baby anymore. I can watch PG movies, now._

_Delighted, I opened up to the page I had left off and continued reading. I got so into my book, in fact, that I completely forgot where I was until a large engine began humming._

_So when the plane began to move, I didn't even notice it. I didn't notice as my father took my hand, I didn't notice as a woman on the other side of me began breathing into a paper bag, and I definitely didn't notice when my seatbelt came undone._

_I did notice it, however, as the plane began to lift off the ground. I felt myself sliding in my seat, but my feet couldn't reach the floor to steady myself. I was seriously in trouble._

"_Daddy!" I called, waving my hands in his face._

"_I told you, no bathroom runs," Dennis sighed, calming little Lizzie down as she began to cry._

"_Daddy, help! Help! HELP!"_

_As passengers finally began to hear my screaming, the pilot panicked. A little girl screamed in terror, and he didn't know why._

"_Emergency landing!" He called as my Dad finally turned to me._

"_What is it, Casey honey?"_

"_I can't stop! I'm all over the place! I'm going to fall out of the sky!"_

"_No you're not, honey! You're inside the plane!"_

"_But I'm not buckled in right!" I replied as I began to cry._

_My Dad reached for my seatbelt, panicking, but it was no use. The belt was broken, and the plane was headed for a nose-dive on the runway._

"_Hold on!" The pilot cried, and I grasped my father and the woman's arms for dear life._

_As the plane hit the ground hard, I felt my body fling forward. The seat in front of me stopped me, but not my book._

_As my Dad checked my pulse and continued to ask whether I was alright, the only thing I could see was my favorite book shooting down the airplane aisle and out of sight._

"Oh god!" I gasped, and Derek turned to me in confusion.

"What is it, Space Case? Afraid of flying?" He mocked.

"Sort of."

"Are you serious? How can you be afraid of flying? Haven't you ever flown before?"

"Yeah, but the seatbelt was broken and the pilot had to stop short and I lurched forward and my nose broke and my Dad freaked out and my wonderful, wonderful book was gone forever and I don't want that to happen again!"

"Casey, you need to chillz," Derek replied, his eyes wide. I was going into full panic mode.

"My seat belt? Is it on right?"

"It's fine," Derek replied, tugging on it tightly for reassurance. "You're not going anywhere, and neither are your ridiculous chick novels."

"That is just so you to laugh at me in my hour of need," I moaned, placing me head in my hands.

"Casey, you bring it on yourself. Even you wouldn't be able to look at your face right now and not laugh."

"How very kind of you," I spat. I had to admit, his taunting was sort of helping. It kept my mind off of the very thought of take-off. Up until I heard the engine hum.

"Derek!" I screamed, my fingernails digging into his arm.

"What?!"

"We're taking off!" I shouted, shutting my eyes.

"It helps to keep your eyes open, Case."

"I don't care!" I moaned, slamming my forehead on his shoulder. "We're going to die either way!"

"No, we're not," Derek consoled, ripping my fingers off of his arm and entwining my hand with his instead. "And I'm..... uh...... well, you know."

"You're what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry," he choked out, nearly gagging at the word. I had to admit, I was pretty shocked too.

"You are? For what?"

"I didn't realize you were so terrified by this flying thing," he admitted. "So, I'm sorry. Okay?"

I sat, openmouthed in bewilderment for the next five minutes. His apology had been such a shock to me that it had rendered me speechless and almost unconscious.

It wasn't until Derek spoke my name that I was shaken out of my daze.

"Case."

"What?"

"You can let go now. We're in the air."

I blinked, taking a moment to process what Derek had just said. We were in the air? So that meant.... I had made it through the take-off? Yeah, I had! Heck, I didn't even notice the take-off! It was almost as if....

No, I thought. Not a chance. There was no way that Derek Venturi would have apologized just to help me conquer my fears.

"Case."

"Sorry," I responded, releasing his hand.

And the flight continued on without a hitch.

"Thank you for flying on flight 232. It has been a pleasure flying with you."

I could almost hear the flirtatiousness in her voice as Derek and I began to pack up our carry-ons. My books, I was pleased to see, were all still nestled comfortably in their bag.

"It was nice sitting with you," the peacock lady smiled. "It actually brought back some pleasant memories."

"Really? What were those?" I asked, intrigued. Derek, on the other hand, continued packing up and didn't even act like he was listening.

"You children reminded me of my first flight with my husband. Oh, the memory! He held my hand the entire way. He was such a splendid man!"

"Why didn't he come with you?" I asked.

"Well, my dear, Edward passed away a few years ago. He was a birdwatcher, and the most magnificent one I have ever met!"

I was thankful that Derek hadn't bothered listening to this lady talk, otherwise he would have probably rolled his eyes right in front of her.

"I am so sorry for your loss," I responded.

"Thank you," she smiled genuinely. "I almost felt like he was here with me today, holding my hand as that young boy held yours. You two really are quite the couple."

"Oh, we're not," I tried to explain as Derek stood up beside me. It appeared that she had finally gotten his attention.

"Well, maybe someday," she grinned, and flounced down the aisle as gracefully as a bird. Go figure.

"We never speak of that woman again," Derek ordered.

"Agreed."

But as I hopped off the plane and got my first look at Mexico City, I couldn't help but wonder at that one word. Someday.

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked it! And don't worry... Dasey won't be happening quite as fast as this chapter makes it seem. There's still a lot left to happen, and we've only just arrived in Mexico City!


	3. Five Minutes to Midnight

Title: The Soundtrack of My Summer

Spoilers from: All of Season 4, which is going by really quickly! They'd better have Dasey in the movie, whenever that comes out!

Summary: It's the summer before Derek and Casey are about to go off to college, so the family decides to spend it in Mexico City. While there, Casey and Derek end up sharing a room, Casey gets a stalker, and Derek figures out just who Casey sees in her dreams.

A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews! The more the merrier! And for those of you who want Derek's POV, don't worry! That's coming up real soon... .in about two chapters! I'm planning on ten in all.

Disclaimer: I do not own Mexico City, Boys Like Girls, Snickers, or Life with Derek. If I did, I wouldn't need to be writing about what I want to happen on the show, because it would BE HAPPENING!

Chapter 3- Five Minutes to Midnight

(Casey's POV)

"And not only did you not want to sit with us, but you forced Derek and I together in the very opposite end of the plane! I mean come on, Mom! Out of all the selfish, inconsiderate-"

"Here we are!" Jean-Philippe, their cab driver announced, cutting off my angry rant. It was almost midnight, and even a person as dense as Derek could tell that Jean-Philippe was exhausted. I wouldn't be surprised if it was because of me. "Your cottage awaits."

As my mother gave our driver a gracious smile and leaped out of the backseat as fast as she could, I couldn't help but think back to our flight. Had it really been so bad that I needed to treat my mother like a verbal punching bag?

In actuality, the flight hadn't been bad at all. Sure, I had been scared to death, but after the first few minutes, I actually got over my fear of flying. With Derek's help, of course.

Speaking of Derek, as I looked in his direction, towards the second cab that had taken the Venturis from the airport, I noticed that Derek seemed completely himself again. And by himself, I mean arrogant, rude, and overly obnoxious towards yours truly.

"Why hello there, Space Case," he grinned, coming up beside me. "Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

"What are you talking about, Derek?"

"You've got some chocolate on your face."

Silently cursing the Snickers bar that I had been eating, I proceeded to rub its chocolaty remains off my face, only to realize that there hadn't been any at all. Derek had lied, which wasn't a shock to me. The real surprise was that I had fallen for his claim to have spotted something on my face in the pitch black darkness of night. I suppose I was as out of it as Jean-Philippe. At the same time, Derek waltzed past me into the small cottage, laughing hysterically.

"So much for being a changed man," I sighed, following him into the cottage.

This Mexican residence was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen... its position was right on the water of a gorgeous Mexican beach. Its rooms were relatively large and spacious, compared to the tiny boxes that the Venturis called rooms back at home. There were flowers and Spanish greetings everywhere, with miniature piñatas and Mexican hats filling the décor.

"There are five rooms," my mother announced. "And seven of us."

"No problem. You and I will share," George grinned, pecking my mother on the cheek. Derek looked at away, disgusted. Talk about immature.

"That still leaves five of us and four other rooms," I announced as Derek began to count on his fingers with extreme difficulty. "Two other people are going to have to share."

"I vote Edwin and Derek," Lizzie grinned, and I nodded.

"No way! I'm not sharing a room with Edwierdo," Derek argued.

"And if you put me in a room with Derek, there's a 50/50 chance that I won't make it out alive," Edwin spoke.

"Well I'm not sharing with anyone," I spoke up. I shared one with Liz for what felt like forever, and after finally winning and getting my own room a couple of years ago, there was no way I was giving it up for the summer. "When I go off to college, I'm going to have to share a room there. I'd really like to have a little 'me' time before then."

"Diddo," Derek declared, and I glared at him.

"Fine. Lizzie, would you mind sharing with Marti?"

"But Mom!" Lizzie frowned, but my mom simply held up a hand.

"Someone has to, and I highly doubt the king and queen of the castle are going to give in."

To me, it awfully sounded like my mom was poking fun at me. Hey, I can be a bit self-absorbed sometimes, but I'm not nearly as bad as Derek!

"It'll be fun, Liz," I encouraged her, although I knew deep down that it most certainly would not be.

"Okay," my little sister sighed, and I breathed my own sigh of relief. Thank God. I got my own room.

And Derek got his way, yet again.

"So that leaves Casey, Derek, and Edwin with their own rooms," Nora confirmed. "Go ahead and pick which ones you want."

The next five minutes were complete chaos, with Lizzie and Marti taking the first room they could find to prevent an uproar, Edwin taking the one next door, and Derek and I battling for the last two, one of which was clearly better than the other.

"I call the room with the bathroom!" I shouted, slamming my suitcase down on the bed at the same time as Derek.

"No, I do!"

"Derek, you don't need your own personal bathroom. You're a guy!"

"So?"

"So, you need, what, ten minutes to get ready? I need at least an hour, and there's no way I'm getting that hour unless I have my own bathroom!"

"Case, no matter how much time you spend looking at yourself in the mirror, that face isn't going to magically become pretty."

"You're a jerk!"

"Princess!"

"Chauvinist!"

"Klutz!"

"Guys!" my mother scolded, entering the room. "What could you possibly be fighting about now? We haven't been here more than ten minutes!"

"Derek says he needs the room with the private bathroom but everyone knows that girls spend way more time in there than boys!"

"That is true," my mom admitted, looking at Derek. "Derek, can't you take the other room?"

"No way! This room has a bigger mirror, and everyone knows that I like to look at myself."

"Although we have no idea why," I chided, receiving a glare from my mom.

"You know what? I give up! Derek, Casey, if the two of you can't figure out who gets the room in the next five minutes, I'm sending you both on the flight back to Canada!"

That woke us up real fast. As my mom turned on her heel and left for her and George's room, I turned to Derek with a determined expression.

"I've got it! Thumb war!"

"Say what?" Derek asked.

"A thumb war! That's how we choose who gets the room!"

"Case, aren't thumb wars a little second grade?"

"Is someone chicken?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"Not in the least," Derek grinned, grabbing my hand. "In fact, I say we make this competition a little more interesting."

"Do you ever get tired of betting?" I asked him, rolling my eyes.

"Not when I win," he smirked. "Which I always do."

"What are the stakes?" I asked, knowing that I could beat him. I had played this game every single day in second grade. Literally. By the end of the year, my thumb was unstoppable.

"Loser has to do whatever the winner asks, for the rest of the summer."

"Deal," I agreed, knowing that this was my chance to drive Derek insane. Having my step-brother as my own personal slave was practically too good to be true.

"One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war," Derek announced, and I jumped into action.

Surprisingly, Derek was a much better competitor than I had thought. After two minutes of ruthless thumb warring, however, I had him pinned down.

"One, two, three four, I just won a thumb war!" I declared triumphantly, and Derek released my hand as though he had been burned.

"No way. I challenge you to a rematch."

"Dream on, Venturi. I won, fair and square. I get the room, and you."

Cursing, Derek stomped out of the room and slammed the door. He marched back in two seconds later, scooped up his suitcase, and slammed it again. What a sore loser.

It was now 11:55, five minutes to midnight, and I wasn't tired at all.

In fact, to reward myself for beating Derek, I decided to make a victory call to my boyfriend. It didn't matter what time it was in Canada. He would want to hear about this.

Unfortunately, it wasn't Truman who answered the phone. After about six rings, I heard someone pick up, followed by a woman's voice.

"Hello?"

Too stunned to speak, I stuttered before asking, "Is Truman there?"

"He's in the bathroom. Who is this?"

"Who's _this_?" I asked, unsure whether or not I should reveal my identity just yet.

"This is Truman's girlfriend Carmen. Do you want me to give Truman a message?"

"Yeah, I do," I spoke, surprised that I could even find my voice. "Could you tell him that his other girlfriend, Casey, is never speaking to him again?"

After slamming the phone down and crying my eyes out for the next hour, I finally was able to get some sleep. But not before one lonely, miserable thought crossed my mind.

Derek had been right.


	4. Learning To Fall

Title: The Soundtrack of My Summer

Spoilers from: Season 4, if you haven't seen the entire thing yet, or heard the horrible rumors about the ending. Pretty disappointing, huh folks?

Summary: It's the summer before Derek and Casey are about to go off to college, so the family decides to spend it in Mexico City. While there, Casey and Derek end up sharing a room, Casey gets a stalker, and Derek figures out just who Casey sees in her dreams.

A/N: Thanks for the many reviews I've gotten so far! I'm really glad you guys are liking this story! This chapter will be the last in Casey's POV for a while, so for those of you who are waiting for the Derek POVs, they're a'coming! The next chapter is really when this story starts taking form, so be anticipating it, and a Happy Holidays to everyone!!

Disclaimer: I do not own Mexico City, Boys Like Girls, or Life with Derek. Surprised much?

Chapter 4- Learning To Fall

(Casey's POV)

I wasn't sure how much sleep I actually got last night, but next thing I knew it was morning, and I was forced to face the horrible reality of no longer having a boyfriend. Even worse than that, I was forced to face the very guy who warned me about Truman, the last guy in the world I would ever admit was actually right to his face. My dearest step-brother Derek.

Well, reality would have to wait. There was no way I was getting up any time soon.

To think that Truman actually cheated on me _again_ was almost unbearable. But what was even worse? The fact that after everything that he had done, and every lie he had spun, I still gave him a second chance. I, Casey McDonald, had believed that a guy like Truman, a guy so chauvinistic and arrogant, could actually change.

Turns out, he might actually be worse than Derek._ Derek._

I have no idea now what I ever saw in Truman. Had I stooped to such a low that I was willing to throw away all of my self-pride for a guy who had given me a 6 1/2 on an appearance rating? I had let my desire for a boyfriend take over my mind, just like I had back when I was dating Max. Twice now I've turned myself into a completely different person, a demoralizing person nonetheless, for two guys who never really cared about me at all.

I, Casey McDonald, am truly pathetic.

Still, I needed closure. There was no way I was going to get over Truman any time soon unless I at least had that.

So, what did I decide to do?

I called him.

And after about six rings, he finally picked up.

"Hello?"

"Greetings from Mexico City," I spoke cheerfully, trying to prove that Truman's deceit hadn't hurt me one bit.

"Casey?"

"Of course! Who else would it be!? Oh, I know! Perhaps, the girlfriend you've been sleeping around with behind my back!?" A little more anger than intended, but who cares.

"Right. About that, Case-"

"Don't even bother, Truman," I cut him off, putting on my fake happy voice. "I don't need any excuses from you, all I want is an explanation."

"Of what?"

"Of why you felt the need to cheat on me for the second time!" I nearly yelled, cursing myself for being so loud. Great. Alert the family! Casey's been cheated on! Again.

"Listen, Case."

"You do not have my permission to call me Case!" I spat back. "We're not dating anymore, Truman."

"Why not?" I pulled a Derek eye roll at this statement.

"Because you cheated on me, jerk! And I'm still waiting to find out why!"

"Then here you go! You're off in Mexico City, and then we're gonna be far away from each other in college. You know how it is, Case-y. A guy has needs."

I couldn't believe him. Out of all the lame explanations, he had to go with that one!

"I don't give a damn about your 'needs,' Truman. I just called to get a little bit of closure and to let you know that it's over. Have fun with your new girlfriend, although I bet there are others that you never told me about, too. Am I right?"

"Well...."

"Save it! Don't bother contacting me again."

And on that note, I slammed the phone down with as much strength as I could muster.

To tell you the truth, as much as I hate to admit it, Truman wasn't the one I was most angry at. And no, I wasn't angry with myself all that much now either. I had surpassed that. Right now, my anger was centered towards one person, and one person only.

Derek.

Sure, reader, I bet you're thinking to yourself right now, 'How could Casey be mad at Derek? Derek had nothing to do with Truman cheating on her!'

Well, you want to know something interesting? Derek has everything to do with everything!

He's always been the cause of all of my problems, and I'm darn sick of it!

Plus, to make matters worse, he has the nerve to barge into my room this very second with one of those I-told-you-so smirks on his face!

Oh, he is _so_ going to get it.

"What do you want, Derek?" I said through clenched teeth.

"Oh, I don't know. Just to say good morning, and that I heard your little outburst through the wall. Things aren't going smoothly in Truman land?"

"Shut up, Derek," I warned him, my anger reaching its boiling point.

"Of course, had you listened to me, you wouldn't have been so heartbroken."

"I mean it, Derek."

"Not that I was surprised, of course! You're that boring that you can't keep them entertained, huh Case?"

At that moment, I snapped. So, what did I do?

I shoved Derek down onto my bed with all of the strength I had left.

"Don't ever talk about that guy again!" I fumed, but Derek stayed calm and totally composed on my bed.

"Who? You mean _Truman_?"

"That's IT! I HATE YOU!" I screamed, stomping out of the room and into my mother's bedroom so fast that I didn't even give Derek a chance to reply.

Mom, on the other hand, seemed quite frightened.

"George, I think the kids have finally reached the point of attempting murder," she sighed, half joking and half serious.

"Mom, I need you to take me away from this place! Away from HIM!"

"Where, honey? I don't know Mexico City all that well! Can't you just try to get along?"

"Oh I've tried, Mom! I've tried and I've tried and I've tried! But I can't take this anymore! We are _never_ going to get along the way you want us to! Why don't you just give up and give me my old life back!?"

This snapped my mom out of it real quick. So much for trying to reason with me. I was uncontrollable.

"I'll get my coat," she sighed, knowing I needed my space.

As much as I hated speaking like that to my mom, I didn't regret it as she dropped me off at the local beach where a bunch of kids were hanging out and playing volleyball. It was around noon by now. I guess the breakup had worn me down more than I thought, because I had slept for almost twelve whole hours.

"When should I come and get you?" My mother asked, concerned.

"I'll call when I need a ride home, but it'll probably be really late. I don't plan on returning to Derek any time soon."

"Just don't do anything stupid," my mom warned me, although I had no idea what she was talking about. Don't do anything stupid? What, did she think I was planning on killing myself? Or hooking up with a random guy because I'm on the rebound?

"I won't. See you later."

And I did see her later. Much later, in fact. I spent the next eleven hours at the beach, doing a little of this and a little of that. Anything to pass the time. As far as eating, to tell you the truth I wasn't all that hungry, but a nice boy named Julio offered me half of his sandwich which I politely accepted.

It was now eleven o'clock, and Julio and I were still chatting. I had to admit, he was a great guy. Chestnut brown hair that flopped on his head, dreamy chocolate eyes that you could practically swim in, and a gorgeous smile that could send any girl's heart racing.

"So where are you staying?" Julio asked me, and I had to take a moment to think.

"A cottage called La Casa Del Sol," I replied.

"No way! Are you staying in the master bedroom? You know, the one with the private bathroom and the sunset wallpaper?"

"Yeah! How did you know?" I asked, feeling a bit creeped out.

"Because, that room is supposed to be haunted," Julio whispered, and I couldn't help but notice the air grow a bit cooler at his remark. And was it just my imagination, or did a wolf just howl in the woods?

"You don't say," I chuckled. Yes, I know I'm not supposed to be a chicken anymore, now that Emily cured me of my irrational fear of horror movies. But when the horror comes at you full force in real life, you would be scared too.

"Yeah, it's a legend here in Spain. Apparently, this eighteen year old girl hung herself in that room because her boyfriend broke up with her."

"No kidding!" I laughed nervously, not failing to notice the resemblance between me and this other girl. Snap out of it, Casey. It's just a coincidence.

"All the guys who've stayed in that room said that they felt at one time like there was someone in the room trying to strangle them, but there was no one there."

"So, she's out for revenge on other guys because a guy broke her heart?" I clarified, feeling a bit relieved. I wasn't a guy, after all. I was the victim here, too.

"Yeah, but some girls have felt threatened by her, too. She gets really mad at teenaged girls who let guys walk all over them. You know the type! Those girls that are so desperate for a guy that they'll get back together with their boyfriend, even _after_ he's cheated on them!"

"Right. Those girls," I smiled, beginning to panic. The wolf howled again in the distance, and I could have sworn I saw a flash of light on my right side. It couldn't be, could it?

"Of course, you don't have to worry about a thing! You seem like the kind of girl who stands up for herself, am I right?"

"Yeah," I smiled. _Well, I used to be. _

"I really like girls like that," Julio grinned, sliding a little closer to me. I couldn't help but notice that he was flirting. Heck, he had probably used his little ghost story to scare the crap out of me so that I would seek comfort in his arms. It couldn't possible be real.

Could it?

"Hey, would you like to go out for coffee sometime? They make some really good ones just down the street from your cottage!"

"Um, I think I'll have to pass," I answered, standing up. "You seem like a great guy, Julio, and if I had met you at any other time I would probably jump at the chance. It's just that I recently broke up with my boyfriend and I don't think I'm ready for another relationship."

"Ah, well I had to try," Julio sighed, although for a guy that appeared to be taking this easily, he sure looked pretty beaten up over my refusal. But then, a grin crossed his face. "Maybe I'll see you again when you're a little less unavailable?"

"Maybe," I half-grinned, scooping my cell phone out of my pocket.

"Like, tomorrow, perhaps? I could meet you here again, same time?"

"I don't think so, Julio," I shook my head.

"Well maybe the next day, then! I'll be here all summer!"

"Thanks, but no thanks," I sighed. _Thank God for speed dial. Time for Mom to the rescue._

Unfortunately, Mom didn't pick up the phone, and as I waited through ring after ring, I couldn't help but think back to the ghost story Julio had told me. Was my room really haunted? And if it was, how was I supposed to stay there tonight?

Almost as if in reply, I felt an invisible hand tap my back. Whirling around, I came face to face with....

no one.

There was no one there. I was just being silly. The story was a hoax, a legend. It wasn't real.

There are no such thing as ghosts.

Yet the rock that just appeared to fly at my head out of nowhere? Yeah, that certainly felt like arguing with my theory.

_Mom!_ I cried in my thoughts when literally, I began to cry. The fear became so intense that I actually started sobbing.

And that's when someone finally answered.

"Hello?" asked a familiar voice, husky from sleep. And that's when I realized that it was nearly midnight, and I had woken him up.

"Hey Derek," I choked out through sobs. "Could you put my mom on the phone please?"

"Nora's asleep, like the rest of the family," he replied, and I couldn't help but notice the tiny amount of anger in his voice. He had been asleep, too.

"Well, it's late, I'm alone and cold on the beach, and I need a ride home. Could you-"

Who was I kidding? After the verbal attack we had made on each other earlier, I was now expecting Derek Venturi to come to my rescue? There was absolutely no chance of that happening, especially now that I was obviously crying over the phone. Derek hated tears. Yeah, I had the bet on my side, and technically he would have to come if I ordered him to, but there was no way-

"I'll be right there," he sighed, hanging up the phone.

And that was when I realized that Derek Venturi was a better person than Truman.

Much, much better.


	5. Thunder

Title: The Soundtrack of My Summer

Spoilers from: Season 4, with my own little twist on the crummy relationships that LWD gave us.

Summary: It's the summer before Derek and Casey are about to go off to college, so the family decides to spend it in Mexico City. While there, Casey and Derek end up sharing a room, Casey gets a stalker, and Derek figures out just who Casey sees in her dreams.

A/N: At last, we have Derek's POV!! Thanks for all the reviews, guys! I hope to get a lot of response to this chapter, because it's really when everything takes off. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Even though I put Mexico City, Boys Like Girls, and Life with Derek on my Christmas list, I didn't get them. What a pity. What did I do wrong this year, Santa?

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Chapter 5- Thunder

(Derek's POV)

Casey McDonald, my step-sister, is such a loser. Seriously, what kind of girl tells you she hates you, only to ask for a favor from you twelve hours later? Not to mention she woke me up in the middle of the night, crying. Crying.

That was probably why I did it, why I picked her up. I, Derek Venturi, can't stand it when girls cry. Yes, I do have a heart, and hearing Casey McDonald crying over the phone nearly broke it.

Why does she have to get involved with such idiot guys? I hate to admit it, but Sam was the only boyfriend that ever treated her right. God, I can't believe I said that.

But it's true. Sam was the only boyfriend Casey ever had that wasn't a complete baboon, and even he couldn't handle her quirks. From crying to laughing to full-out screaming, Casey McDonald was a tough girl to put up with.

I'm sure Max the wax-figure could attest to that. The moment Casey started turning away from her popularity and losing her confidence, he was gone. Why she would ever do that I have no idea, but I have to admit, I like the old Casey better.

Which is why it pissed me off when Casey started dating that Truman guy, and started becoming that completely different person once again. Seriously, take it from someone who knows. When a guy looks at you like you're a trophy instead of a person and breaks your heart not once but twice, he's not a good dude. Which I, being the gracious step-brother that I am, warned her about all along, but would she listen to me? No, she had to go through him cheating on her twice before she ever got a clue.

Although Casey didn't tell me that she was crying because of a guy, I could tell that was the reason. I've lived with Casey McDonald long enough to know her boy problem tears from her I-forgot-about-a-project-deadline-for-the-first-time-in-my-life-and-now-I'm-going-to-fail tears.

This guy, whoever he was, better not have laid a hand on her.

"There's some tissues in the glove compartment," I finally told her as she sniffed once more. The one thing worse than over-the-phone Casey crying? In-the-car Casey crying.

"Thanks," she smiled softly, and for a moment the tears stopped coming. For a moment.

"So what were you doing all afternoon?" I asked, not that I was concerned or anything. Derek Venturi deserves to know these things, after all.

"None of your business." Uptight, defensive Casey has returned.

"Who is he?" I asked at last, and Casey looked at me as if I was some sort of stalker.

"You've been spying on me!?" she asked, outraged, and I rolled my eyes.

"No, Case, I haven't. I think I've been around you long enough to tell when you're upset about a guy, you know."

"Oh. I never knew you were so observant," she mumbled, and I raised an eyebrow.

"So who is he?" I asked again, pushing the subject.

"A guy I met on the beach," she sighed, wiping her eyes again with the tissue. "Named Julio."

I snorted. Seriously, Case, you can't do better than that?

"That desperate for another boyfriend, huh?"

"I am not desperate!" she declared, her anger reaching her eyes. "And I wish you would stop interrogating me and let me cry in peace."

"No, no more crying," I sighed, snatching the tissue and throwing it out of the window. "Was he really that big of a deal to you, Case?"

And it was then that I noticed something different in Casey's eyes. The depression over Truman and maybe this Julio guy was there, but beneath that there was something else. Fear.

I yanked the steering wheel, swerving the car over to the side of the road. Casey looked bewildered, confused, and still scared.

"What did he do to you, Case?" I asked.

"Who?"

"Julio," I spat, gripping the steering wheel harder. Don't lose it, Venturi.

"Oh! Nothing, really. Just hit on me a couple of times, but I turned him down."

I looked into her eyes and noticed she was telling the truth. If that wasn't it, what could it be?

"Is everything alright, Derek?"

"I wanted to ask you the same question," I answered, staring her down. "What are you afraid of?"

Casey's breath caught in her throat, and she broke eye contact. I wasn't sure why, but then again, Casey McDonald wasn't exactly the easiest person in the world to figure out.

"How did you know I was scared?" she whispered quietly.

"Again, I've lived with you for a long time, Case. I know these things. I can see them in your eyes."

Casey's gaze flittered back and forth, and I could tell she was distracted. Her hands were shaking, and not from the cold. This was summer, for God's sake. It was about 70 degrees out.

"Julio told me a story," she announced, and I eased up a little. "A ghost story. About our cottage. My room, specifically."

"Go on," I urged, feeling every nerve in my body relaxing. There wasn't anything seriously wrong. This was just Casey being Casey.

"A girl used to stay there, only when her boyfriend broke up with her, she hung herself. Apparently, now she watches over that room and haunts any guy that stays in it."

"Well you're not a guy, last time I've checked," I smirked.

"Yes, Derek, but I'm not finished. This girl also haunts other girls that let their boyfriends use them, cheat on them. Ring a bell?"

"Truman," I declared. "Case, you don't honestly believe in that junk, do you?"

"Of course not," she laughed uneasily. "Actually, yes, yes I do."

"Casey McDonald, you are such a wimp," I snickered, starting up the car. Honestly, a ghost? Was she really that ridiculous?

"Derek, I'm not going back to that room!" she screamed, grabbing my arm.

"Case, if you don't let go of me, I'm going to get in an accident," I spoke, and she released it, but not without leaving tiny puncture marks in my skin from her nails. Great. Thanks a lot, Case.

"I'm not going back there," she repeated, and I rolled my eyes. Oh yes, yes you are.

As I pulled into the drive of our cottage, I noticed that the lights were all still off. Good, I hadn't awoken anyone else in the family. Not that I cared about things like that, of course.

"Night Case," I spoke, waving my hand as I began to enter my room and go back to sleep.

Surprisingly, she didn't try to stop me. She just followed me.

"I'm not sleeping there tonight," she told me, but I continued to ignore her and flung myself onto the bed with a sigh. Casey McDonald was wearing me out.

"Then go sleep with Lizzie," I told her, pulling the covers up over my head in an attempt to drown her out. It didn't work.

"Lizzie's already sharing a room with Marti! There's no room," I heard her answer.

"Then go tell Nora and she'll switch the sleeping arrangements," I spoke through a yawn.

"I'm not going to wake my Mom up at 1:00 in the morning!" she declared, and I rolled my eyes again.

"You mean like you did to me?"

"Yeah!" she answered, and I snorted. Jeez, thanks Case. "Then go kick Edwin out of his room."

"Are you kidding me? Edwin's the gassiest human alive! I can't imagine what that room smells like!"

"Then sleep on the floor somewhere," I shrugged, finally beginning to drift off.

Quiet.

I couldn't believe it. She had gone away! She had left me alone!

It was then that I heard the bed creak, and felt it shift under the weight of another person. Casey.

Er, maybe not.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I asked, flinging my eyes open.

There she was, trying her best to sneak under the covers without me noticing. Fat chance, Case.

"I need somewhere to sleep," she told me, and I grimaced.

"You're not staying here."

"Yes, I am."

"No, you're not!"

"Yes, I am!"

"Jeez, Case," I groaned. "Why can't you go bug someone else?"

Bad move. A single tear trickled down her face, and I groaned. Way to go, Venturi.

"Fine. But only for tonight, got it?"

"Yes, sir!" she saluted, and I rolled my eyes. This was going to be a long night.

Suddenly, I heard the crack of thunder and the snap of a tree branch outside my window. There was a storm, and a big one at that.

"Derek!" Casey squeaked, and I smacked my head with my hand for giving in.

Correction. This was going to be a very, very long night.

"Derek!" she squeaked again, and I turned to face her.

"What!?"

"I'm afraid of thunder storms," she admitted, and I threw my hands in the air.

"I give up! First, you ask me to pick you up from the beach, and I do that! Then, you make me let you stay in my room for the night, and I agree to that, too! But I will not put up with you screaming and crying all night!"

"You're right, I'm a loser."

"Yeah, you are!"

Through the darkness, a flash of lightning illuminated the room, but the only thing I could see was Casey's defeated expression on her face. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying, and she was biting her lip to keep from continuing with her tears.

Casey McDonald managed to pull at my heartstrings yet again. What was wrong with me?

"Why do you do this to me, Case?" I asked, sighing. "Fine, you can scream and cry all you want, just do it quietly, okay?"

"You don't have to let me stay here," she whispered, and I rolled my eyes.

"Don't even bother, Case. You wouldn't leave, even if I begged you to."

"No, I probably wouldn't."

Just then, lightning struck a tree near the window, and it fell to the ground with a deafening crack. Casey jumped and latched painfully onto my arm.

"Derek!" she squeaked, and I grabbed the pillow that she had accidentally knocked onto the floor.

"Here, take this and put it over your head."

"Are you trying to suffocate me?!" she asked, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"No, Case. It will block out the noise. Just trust me, okay?"

And she actually did. The pillow managed to muffle the noise long enough for her to get to sleep, although now I was having trouble doing the same.

Those ghost stories couldn't be true, could they? There couldn't be a ghost lurking in the room next door, absolutely not. Could there?

I decided that I didn't want to find out. From now on, no one would enter that room. That room, which Casey and I had fought over ferociously just the other night, would remain empty.

Good. Now that that was resolved, maybe I could finally get some sleep.

I must have been cursed or something, because at that moment, Casey started talking in her sleep.

Great! Just another way for Casey McDonald to keep me up!

"Leave me alone, Truman!" she moaned, and I rolled my eyes. Of course, she was dreaming about Truman.

Why couldn't that girl ever let go?

"You're such a jerk! Get away from me!"

I snickered. This might actually be entertaining. And informative, nonetheless. Perhaps I could find some dirt on Casey that could be used against her later.

"Julio, you're creeping me out," she whispered, and I covered my mouth so as not to wake her up from my laughter. "Stop following me! Stop it!"

Then, Casey's dream must have changed, because she started talking about failing a test. Rolling my eyes, I shoved my face into my pillow and tried to ignore her.

It was working. I actually started to fall back asleep when one word echoed in the room and brought me back to reality.

"Derek!"

Glancing at Casey, I noticed that she was moving her hands around in the air, feeling for something in her sleep.

"Give it back, Derek! Derek!"

Grinning, I decided to play along.

"I don't think so," I whispered, hoping it would reach her in her unconscious frame of mind. It did.

"Fine! Two can play that game!" she declared, and I smirked.

What was I keeping from her in her dream? Whatever it was, I was doing a good job.

"See? Now I have your leather jacket," she teased, and I narrowed my eyes.

Even in her sleep, Casey was vicious.

"Give it back," I ordered, feeling a bit concerned for the safety of my leather jacket. Sure, sure, it was just a dream, but it felt real to me.

"Not until you tell me that you love me."

I froze. Did Casey really just say what I think she just said? If so, then there was no way-

"I love you," I whispered before I could stop myself. What was I doing!? I didn't love Casey!

Her mouth twisted upward into a smile, and as I looked at her face, I sighed in relief that she was still sleeping and hadn't heard the ridiculous three words I had just uttered.

"I'm exhausted, that's all. I need sleep," I sighed, shaking my head.

So what if I had told Casey I loved her? It had been a joke! She wouldn't remember any of this in the morning... right?

Pulling the covers over my head, I prayed to God that she wouldn't.


	6. Hero Heroine

Title: The Soundtrack of My Summer

Spoilers from: Season 4... And for those of you who were wondering, the season ends like this: Derek ends up with Emily (but I already broke them up), Casey ends up with Truman, who cheated on her once before (I made him cheat on her again and then broke them up too), and Casey and Derek are attending the same university in the fall.

Summary: It's the summer before Derek and Casey are about to go off to college, so the family decides to spend it in Mexico City. While there, Casey and Derek end up sharing a room, Casey gets a stalker, and Derek figures out just who Casey sees in her dreams.

A/N: Thank you sooooo much for the fabulous reviews! Keep 'em coming! This chapter is definitely one of my faves.. and it goes along with my favorite song by Boys Like Girls! How fitting!

Disclaimer: Mexico City, Boys Like Girls, the story of the Princess and the Pea, and Life with Derek still don't belong to me. I'm working on it, though. ;)

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Chapter 6- Hero/Heroine

(Derek's POV)

The morning after, as I like to call it, was one of the most awkward experiences of my life. Having recently told Casey that I loved her, (which was complete nonsense, I was tired!) I prayed to God that she didn't remember what I had said last night.

Lucky for me, Casey didn't remember a thing. Apparently, she didn't even recollect the dream she had been having about me, because she seemed just as normal as usual when we woke up. Not that Casey is ever normal.

Here was how the morning went, in case you were wondering.

_"Morning," Casey spoke as my eyes fluttered open. She was already up and ready for the day, with her makeup on and her hair done up neatly in a bun on the top of her head._

_Instead of replying, I simply groaned and turned over on my side._

_"Hey Derek?"_

_"What!?" I moaned, turning to face her with a lump in my throat. Was she planning on mentioning what happened last night? Because I really can't deal with that._

_"I just wanted to say..... thanks," she smiled. "You were a big help last night."_

_"Don't mention it," I grunted. "I mean it. Don't."_

_Casey simply rolled her eyes and shut the door, leaving me to my thoughts._

_She didn't seem to remember anything about the dream, which was good. And she hadn't heard what I had said to her last night, which was even better._

_But the thing that made me the most relieved? That she wasn't planning on mentioning my "good deed" to the rest of the family._

_I figured if Nora and George found out, they would probably start acting all proud of me and asking for hugs. Derek Venturi doesn't do hugs._

_Edwierdo and Liz would probably make a big deal about it for days, investigating the reason behind my charitable behavior. That was another thing I really didn't need today. I was confused enough as it is why I've been acting so nice to Casey._

_Smarti would probably start expecting me to act nicer to Casey all the time, which just wasn't going to happen. And then it might upset her, which wasn't something I wanted at all. Smarti's my favorite of the family, and I would rather give up hockey forever than make my little sister upset with me._

_Okay, so maybe that was a stretch, but you get the point, right?_

So here I am now, munching on my extra sugary cereal while Nora and George inform the family about what we're going to do today.

Of course, I wasn't entirely listening to what they were saying, but I did manage to hear a few words. Lunch, dinner, and something about an angel.

"Aren't you excited to see it?!" Casey squealed as we piled into the taxi. Casey, Marti and I were taking one taxi, leaving the other for Nora, Dad, Edwin and Lizzie. How they were all planning on fitting inside one cab I have no idea, but I knew what they were thinking. None of them wanted to be trapped inside a car with Casey and I fighting.

"To see what?" I asked, confused. I had no idea where we were going!

"El Angel de la Independencia! The Independence Angel! It's supposed to be the greatest tourist attraction in Mexico City! Boy am I glad I brought my camera!"

"We're going to see an angel? I hope she's hot," I whispered under my breath. Unfortunately, Casey heard me.

"The Independence Angel is not a girl, Derek, it's an historical monument! And besides, this trip isn't a chance for you to scope for hot girls, it's a chance for family bonding!"

"Whatever," I sighed, shoving my headphones into my ears to drown her out.

I think I might just be the unluckiest guy in the whole world.

The entire ride there, Casey told poor Marti every single detail she had ever learned about the history of Mexico City. I repeat. The entire ride.

After just ten minutes, I couldn't take it anymore, and I could tell Marti couldn't either. She had already fallen asleep on Casey's lap, but Space Case hadn't noticed a thing.

"Casey, why don't you save the rest of your story for later. Marti has a hard time getting to sleep, but with you talking, I'm pretty sure it'll take her no time at all!"

"Derek, you are such a jerk!" she screamed, and I caught a glance at our cab driver's face in the rearview mirror. He seemed tired, annoyed, and downright pissed off.

"You stupid, inconsiderate, big-mouth-"

"Case, I suggest you shut it before our cabby decides to take a detour," I whispered, and that shut her up quick.

For about a minute.

"I wonder how many people are going to be there!" she squealed. "The population of Mexico City is pretty huge, you know..."

Time for headphones again.

We arrived at the Independence Angel, which didn't look at all like an angel to me, at around noon. I shouldn't even be awake before noon, but unfortunately here I am.

"Isn't it beautiful, Derek?" Casey asked me as we approached the tall building. I had to admit, it was pretty impressive for a boring historical monument.

"Sure," I sighed, rolling my eyes. Casey can get so carried away sometimes.

Then suddenly I heard a voice call Casey's name, and her face turned ash white. The culprit was nobody I knew, but he had floppy brown hair, dark eyes and a very delighted smile on his face.

"Hi, Julio," Casey grinned, and I nearly choked on my own spit. This was Julio? The guy that Casey had turned down repeatedly just last night?

"Can you believe the luck? It seems like only yesterday that I saw you at the beach! Oh yeah... that's because it was yesterday!"

Julio threw back his head in laughter, and I snorted. This kid was a quack, and I could tell that Casey thought so too, but she had to be polite.

"So what brings you to the Independence Angel?" Casey asked nervously, looking around for the rest of the family.

"Oh, maybe a beautiful girl that I wasn't finished talking to last night," Julio grinned. "So, what's new?"

"Not much, considering we just saw each other last night," Casey sighed.

"Well then, let's cut to the chase, shall we? I would like to take you to this beautiful restaurant for dinner tonight. What do you say, are you up for it?"

"I'm sorry, Julio, but I'm kind of spending the day with my family," Casey admitted, and Julio quirked an eyebrow.

"So this is the arrogant, selfish, pig-headed step-brother?" Julio guessed, and I turned to her in shock. I was not pig-headed!

"Actually, no. Derek decided to stay at the cabin today. This is my boyfriend, Truman!"

Are you kidding me?

"What!?" I asked her, and she elbowed me hard in the ribs.

Ouch. That girl has bony arms.

"I mean, what a pleasure it is to meet you," I covered, casting her an angry glare.

"I thought you and Truman broke up because he cheated on you?" Julio asked, and I prayed to God that Casey had learned to lie a little better since the last time I had seen her do it.

"Well, we did break up, but then Truman came all the way to Mexico City just to apologize! Now, we're back together again, right honey?"

"Right," I choked out, nearly losing it as she began rubbing my arm. This was a little weird.

"But you seemed so hurt last night!" Julio persisted, and I rolled my eyes. This guy just wouldn't give up!

"Well, she was, but now she's over it!" I spat, putting my arm around her.

Okay, this was extremely weird.

"Casey, why would you get back together with him after everything I told you!? I even made up a fake ghost story just so you wouldn't go back to him!" Julio whined.

"Excuse me!?" Casey asked angrily. "That was a fake ghost story!?"

"Well, obviously! Come on, Case. Who actually believes in ghosts?"

"Don't call her Case," I seethed, gritting my teeth. Casey quirked an eyebrow at me but thankfully decided to let it go.

"The point is, I really think we belong together!" Julio spoke, taking a step closer to her.

"Dude, back off," I warned, pulling Casey tighter against my body.

"Casey, I know you don't really care about this guy anymore! I won't give up until you agree to go on a date with me!"

"Julio-" Casey began, but the idiot cut her off.

"You can come meet my parents! I told them all about you and they can't wait for our wedding!"

"This is ridiculous," I sighed. "Case, why don't you just tell him?"

"Maybe you should tell him," Casey spoke, confused and nervous. She had no idea what I was talking about, but I had a plan.

"Okay, I will. Fabio-"

"Julio."

"Same thing. Look dude, Casey and I are engaged. We're getting married in three months, and we're planning on looking for rings later today. So unless you're planning on stealing my fiancé, which I highly advise you not to do, I suggest you get out of our way and leave Casey alone."

"You're getting married!? Without telling me!?" Julio gasped, and Casey looked at me in disbelief.

"Yeah..... we are. I'd invite you to the wedding, but I think our guest list is already full. Sorry!"

"You have stolen my heart and broken it in two," Julio sighed. "Will I ever find another as lovely as you, mi amor?"

"I'm sure you'll find another love," Casey smiled. "Just maybe work on trying to be a little less clingy and a little more independent."

"I'd suggest therapy," I spoke, and Casey elbowed me a second time in the ribs. I was definitely going to have some fresh, non-hockey related bruises.

"Adios, mi amor. Goodbye, my love. Forever."

As Julio made a fool out of himself and sulked away, I couldn't help but laugh. Casey smacked me on the arm painfully, her eyes narrowed and very angry.

"How could you be so insensitive? You hurt his feelings, Derek!"

"The guy's a complete goofball, Case. Are you telling me you weren't the least bit creeped out by the fact that he followed us all the way here from the cabin?"

As Casey shuddered, I knew that I had won this argument. Julio was gone, and my "fiancé" was thankful for it.

The rest of the day was spent checking out these awesome pyramids, which I had to admit I really liked, and then hanging out at the park, which I didn't like so much. Parks and playgrounds were for little kids, not mature adults about to head off to college in the fall.

We returned to the cabin around eleven, and I was exhausted. After watching a little late night TV, I made my way into my bedroom.

Casey was there, sitting on my bed and reading a book.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked her angrily, taking off my leather jacket and tossing it onto the bed.

"I'm staying in here tonight," Casey spoke, not looking up from her book.

"Why? Julio admitted that he made the whole thing up! You don't have to be scared of your room anymore!"

"That's the thing, Derek. It wasn't just what Julio said that freaked me out. When I was waiting for you to pick up the phone last night, the air got all cold and I could have sworn I heard a wolf howl. Julio may have been making his ghost story up, but that doesn't mean that room isn't haunted."

"You're being ridiculous," I argued. "There's nothing wrong with that room!"

"Then go sleep in it yourself!"

"Fine!"

I triumphantly made my way into the room that was supposed to be mine in the first place, only to find a broken glass lying on the floor, and red wine spilled all over the rug.

That hadn't been there the night before.

At that moment, a gust of wind blew through the room, and I shivered in the cold. The window across the room was wide open.

That definitely hadn't been like that last night.

Slamming the door, I ran into my old bedroom, where Casey sat with an expectant look on her face.

"You're right. That room's haunted."

"Told you!"

"But you're still sleeping in it."

"No way!" Casey screamed, launching herself across the bed. She was reaching for something.

It was my leather jacket.

"Give it back," I ordered, staring her down. There was no way this was actually happening.

"Not until you tell me you love me."

No way. There was no fricken way she had just said that.

"What did you say?" I asked nervously.

"I said not until you tell me I can stay," Casey spoke slowly. "Are you alright, Derek?"

"Yeah. Fine. Why?"

"Because your sweating bullets, pacing nervously around the room, and talking like an idiot. Hey! Maybe you are fine after all!"

"Very funny," I growled. "Fine. You can stay, but only if you give me my jacket back."

Victorious, Casey tossed me my jacket with a smirk on her face. Damn that girl.

I climbed into bed next to Casey, (yes I realize how weird that sounds) and placed my leather jacket on the table next to me, far beyond her reach.

"Don't you dare take my jacket again," I warned her, and she nodded.

Just then, the door to my room opened, and my dad walked in.

Oh great.

"What's going on here? Nora! Come quick!"

"Calm down, Dad," I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Nothing's going on. Casey just needed a place to stay tonight."

"Why couldn't she sleep in her own room?" My dad asked in confusion.

Glancing at Casey, I noticed her eyes grow large in fear, and she shook her head.

What was she hiding?

"Um, you see... Casey's bed is a little lumpy, and she says she can't sleep on it. I tried, and she was right. Very lumpy. Maybe there's a pea under there, right Dad?"

Clearly, my dad didn't find my joke very funny. He grunted, looked from Casey to me for a few more seconds, and then shut the door.

"That was close," Casey sighed, closing her eyes.

"Exactly why didn't you want my dad to know you were afraid of a ghost?" I asked. Come on, Case. The whole family already knows how lame you are.

"If my mom finds out I'm afraid of a ghost, she'll start worrying about me. Then I'll have to hear about how immature I am and how I'm not ready to go off to college! And even worse, she'll probably start crying and saying she's a bad mother!"

"Relax, Case," I sighed. "You know, you're starting to sound a heck of a lot like me."

"Excuse me?" Casey asked, her face wearing a look of disgust. Jeez, thanks Case.

"Trying to avoid listening to your mom cry? Yeah, that's definitely something I would do."

"Well, somebody has to start acting like you, considering you haven't been acting like yourself lately."

"Huh?" What was she talking about? I haven't changed!

"You're actually being nice to me," she smiled. "It's not something the old Derek Venturi would do, but here you are!"

"You're right. Maybe something is wrong with me."

Rolling her eyes, Casey shut off the light and scooted further under the sheets, while I thought about what she had said.

Why was I being so nice lately?

The answer came to me about twenty minutes later, as Casey talked in her sleep for the second night in a row.

"Julio, leave me alone!" she cried, swatting at the air in her sleep.

I couldn't help but think about how entertaining sleep-talking Casey was.

"Thanks, Derek," Casey smiled, and my ears perked up.

Was it just me, or did something inside me flutter at the sound of her speaking my name?

"You're always there for me, Derek. I don't know what I'd do without you."

I tried to restrain my mouth, but it wouldn't listen to me, and I found myself grinning in the dark like an idiot. What was wrong with me these days?

"My Derek," Casey sighed in her sleep. "My hero."

And that was when I knew that Casey McDonald meant a bit more to me than a step-sister should.


	7. Heels Over Head

Title: The Soundtrack of My Summer

Spoilers from: Season 4... By the way, do any of you know anything about a Life With Derek movie? I've heard some rumors, but nothing solid yet. If you've got the scoop, please let me know and I'll buy you a chocolate cake with your name on it. :)

Summary: It's the summer before Derek and Casey are about to go off to college, so the family decides to spend it in Mexico City. While there, Casey and Derek end up sharing a room, Casey gets a stalker, and Derek figures out just who Casey sees in her dreams.

A/N: I can't believe all of the reviews I'm getting! This is great, guys! Thanks a million!! And by the way, wambling _is_ actually a word. It was on the bottom of my school planner. See, you _do_ actually learn things there! Stay in school, kids!

Disclaimer: If I told you I owned Mexico City, Boys Like Girls and Life With Derek, you'd think I was nuts. Which I am, some of the time. But who isn't?

Chapter 7- Heels Over Head

(Derek's POV)

I, Derek Venturi, have a problem.

No, not one of those ridiculous problems like when I "forget" to do my homework or show up twenty minutes late for school because my hair just didn't look the way I wanted it to. I'm talking an enormous, gigantic, ridiculously huge problem.

I think there is a slight chance that I might be in love with my step-sister.

Yeah, yeah, I can hear you now. 'How can you be in love with your step-sister, Derek? Are you some kind of pervert?'

Well, I'll have you know, I didn't plan on this happening. And I definitely didn't want it to happen either. It just did, and now that I'm so far in over my head here, there's absolutely nothing I can do about it.

Sometimes, you can't help who you fall in love with.

I know what you're thinking. How can he say he's in love? Derek Venturi has never been in love before, not even with Sally! I just figured out my feelings last night, and already I'm using the l-word?

It's sad, but it's true. When Derek Venturi falls for someone, he falls hard. And Casey McDonald is the cement floor that I have just crashed onto at top speed.

Boy am I screwed.

"Derek," Casey whispered, and I shook my head to rid myself of those last thoughts. Anything to prevent another slip-up.

"What?" I whispered back, unsure if she was actually awake or talking in her sleep yet again. This girl really knew how to torture me, that's for sure.

"What time is it, Derek?"

Groaning, I lifted my head off of the pillow that had granted me literally two hours of sleep that night and turned toward the alarm clock on the bedside table.

"9 in the morning. Great, I'm up early again."

"Are you kidding, Derek!? We overslept!! Why, there's so much to do in so little time!"

As Casey continued to ramble about museum exhibits and historical monuments, I slammed my head back onto my pillow, closing my eyes and praying for an extra minute before Space Case noticed I wasn't listening.

"Derek? Are you even listening to a word I'm saying!?"

Way to go, Venturi. That plan worked _real _well.

"What is it now, Case? I'm tired."

"Casey! Derek! Breakfast time!"

You can bet that woke me up real fast. After a night of tossing and turning, attempting not to think about Casey, and trying my best not to get too excited while lying in bed _next_ to Casey, my stomach was really wambling.

"Be right down, Nora!" I called, leaping out of bed and nearly knocking Casey over on my way out the door. Though I had to admit, the close proximity was a little nice.

As I entered the kitchen and plopped down on my stool, I turned toward my Dad, who was looking at me with a slightly annoyed expression on his face.

It was then that I remembered the way my Dad had walked in on Casey and I last night.

Man that came out wrong. But I have to admit, I like the sound of that.

Basically, my Dad saw Casey and I together in bed last night, and he got a bit nervous. Not that he has anything to worry about, because Casey has way too many morals to ever be involved with me, her step-brother.

Why does that girl _always_ have to follow the rules?

"So what's for breakfast?" I asked hungrily, and my Dad slid a bowl of cereal next to me.

"Mom, I really want to visit some museums today. Can we?"

This was Casey. Obviously, because who else would it be?

"Sure, hun. If you can talk the guys into it."

Looking from Nora to Casey, I scoffed. Did they seriously think I was going to a museum?

"I'm fine with anything you want to do, dear," my Dad whispered, pecking Nora on the cheek.

The one fault with my Dad? He was a huge pushover.

"Well there's no way Edwin and I are going to a museum," I spat, mockery in my voice.

"Come on, Edwin! It'll be fun! Think of all the people who will be there. Maybe you can pick up a few tips on how to make money."

"Nice try, Liz. Edwin's not going to cave, and neither am I."

"You know, Edwin," Casey spoke, a smirk on her face. Did she get that from me? "A lot of hot girls go to museums to look for intellectual guys like you."

"I'm in!" Edwin agreed, and I turned to him in shock.

"Sellout."

"What? They know my weakness."

Punching my little brother in the arm, I turned to Casey with a determined look in my eyes.

"Well, I'm out. And I always get my way. So, we're not going."

"Actually, we are," Casey spoke. "You lost the bet. Therefore, you have to do whatever I say. I say, we're going to the museum. So you have to go along with it."

"Fine!" I spat back. "But this isn't over, McDonald!"

"Of course it isn't, _Venturi."_

The sexy way she said my name sent shivers up my spine, and I looked away quickly, coughing a few times to regain my composure. Luckily, Casey seemed not to notice.

"When do we have to go?" I asked angrily.

"Actually, now. The first museum opens at ten, and it's an hour away. I want to get there before the lunch crowd piles in."

"Casey, we don't have to rush," Nora reminded her. "We have all day."

"But there are four museums we need to check out, plus a few historical landmarks I've marked along the way. Call the taxi service, George!"

The rest of the morning, as well as most of the day, ceases to recollect in my memory. The museums were boring, as I knew they would be, but I couldn't help but smile at the excited look on Casey's face every time she passed a painting or artifact she really liked.

Of course, if I seemed interested, I had to listen to a twenty minute description of the history behind the piece, which wasn't really worth it. So, I made sure to look away every time Casey turned toward me, just to be sure I could avoid the lectures.

Lunch was fantastic, as usual, but I'll eat anything. The whole time I ate my meal, however, I couldn't help but watch Casey twirl her spaghetti into a tight little knot on her fork. Then she'd lift it to her mouth, some of it would fall off, and she'd slurp it through her lips so fast that no one would notice.

Except me.

I'm pretty sure Casey didn't pick up on the way my face grew hot as I watched her eat, wishing with all my might that I could be that spaghetti.

I would have to make sure Nora and Dad stopped at more Italian restaurants on this trip.

The rest of the day went by with more monuments, art galleries, and complete nonsense. I wondered whether the family even knew what the definition of a vacation was, but then again, who was I to complain? Having Casey along for the ride was good enough for me.

Speaking of the ride, it was now half past five, and we were on our way to a nice little restaurant for dinner.

The first taxi, carrying the 'rents, Liz and Ed, made a sharp left turn. Our taxi, carrying Casey, Marti and I, had no choice but to follow.

Marti was sitting on the outside, because she had been feeling pretty sick and needed to be near the window. That left Casey and me, pressed tightly against each other in a tiny cab as it swerved across the street.

As we made the turn I tried my best not to squish her, but it was pretty difficult. As our arms brushed up against each other, I felt the heat in my body rising out of control.

Casey had an MP3 player on her lap, and as the car swerved, it fell between her legs.

Great. Just one more reason for Casey McDonald to completely turn me on.

The car straightened itself out, and I leaned away as quickly as I could, trying to regain my normal breathing. It wasn't working very well.

"You alright?" Casey asked. "You look like you're burning up. Maybe you caught what Marti has."

"Nah, I'm fine," I struggled through clenched teeth, reaching up to feel my face. It was like a sauna up there. "I'm sure Marti's stomach is just a little upset because of all the ice cream she ate earlier."

"They gave you free refills after two chocolate sundaes!" Marti sighed, obviously regretting her gluttony.

"That doesn't mean you're supposed to eat five of them, Marti," Casey lectured, and Marti nodded.

"Lesson learned, Casey. Could you please open the window a little wider? That turn made me feel a little weird."

"You're not the only one," I mumbled, but luckily Casey didn't hear.

My high-strung hormones were getting a teensy bit out of control, and I had to find a way to calm down or I would most definitely lose it.

Unfortunately, the entire world must be against me today.

The restaurant we ate at was offering a special deal tonight. On none other than spaghetti and meatballs.

Just great.

"But Mom, I already had spaghetti today," Casey persisted as her mother told her what to order.

"I know, honey. But this vacation is expensive enough as it is, and we can use any method of saving money that's offered to us!"

"But I'm sick of spaghetti," Casey sighed.

"Come on Nora. Casey's already had spaghetti today. Why don't you let her get something else?"

As the entire family turned in confusion toward me, I hid my face behind my menu and pretended it was no big deal. Derek Venturi defends Casey McDonald all the time!

"Okay, Case. You can order something else tonight."

Sighing in relief, I managed to control my raging desires for the rest of dinner and most of the night.

I repeat. Most.

The real trouble came when I was climbing into bed next to Casey later that night. After the strange appearance of her old room the other night, plus an anonymous call that Casey received on her cell phone at ten o'clock, she was positive that her room was haunted.

And trust me, I wasn't complaining.

"You know, that call was probably Julio," I suggested as she fluffed her pillow. "You gave him your number, didn't you?"

"Maybe," Casey sighed, sliding beneath the covers. "But why would he tell me to 'beware the full moon tomorrow night?' That doesn't make any sense."

"The guy never makes any sense," I reminded her, settling in with the hope of actually getting some sleep tonight. Not that I was betting on it.

"You're probably right. 'Night, Der."

"Night, Case."

And then, I waited. I practically held my breath as I watched her fall asleep, a peaceful smile on her face. She was having a good dream, and she obviously didn't want it to end.

But what was she dreaming about?

"I love you, you know," she whispered, and for a second I thought that she might have been awake. But the quiet snore that followed those words proved it to be false hope.

"Derek," Casey moaned in her sleep, and my body went rigid. Maybe listening to her dreams was a bad idea. I might start having one of my own, and that would most definitely _not_ be a good thing while Casey was in bed beside me.

Keep it under control, D.

"Derek," Casey whispered in a pleading voice so soft that I had to lean my head over hers in order to hear her. "Will you kiss me?"

And that was when I lost it. Just like when I had confessed my love for her, my mouth seemed to take total control over my mind.

I found myself leaning closer to Casey, my head bent towards her and my hands placed on either side of her body for support.

_This shouldn't be happening,_ I tried to remind myself. Yet I just couldn't seem to stop.

As my lips gently touched hers, I felt a tingling sensation that sent my body into overdrive. Knowing that Casey was still asleep, I managed to control the rest of me while my lips brushed over hers again.

At that moment, we were the only two people in the universe.

Nothing else mattered. Not the family, not our friends, not even our morals. I knew it was wrong to be kissing her, with her completely unaware, yet I didn't care about right or wrong anymore.

Casey McDonald was going to be mine, and there was nothing anybody could do about it.

And that was when, shocked and confused, Casey opened her eyes.


	8. A Broken Man

Title: The Soundtrack of My Summer

Spoilers from: Season 4. Man, I really hope there's going to be a LWD movie. Wouldn't that be awesome!? Then hopefully Truman and Casey will break up, Emily and Derek will too, and Casey and Derek can be together!

Summary: It's the summer before Derek and Casey are about to go off to college, so the family decides to spend it in Mexico City. While there, Casey and Derek end up sharing a room, Casey gets a stalker, and Derek figures out just who Casey sees in her dreams.

A/N: You guys are absolutely blowing me away with all your reviews! Thank you soooo much! And if you were wondering, the bet that I referred to in the last chapter was when Derek and Casey were fighting over the room, and Casey beat him in a thumb war. They made a bet over who would win, and whoever lost had to be the other's personal servant for the summer. Derek lost, of course, hence Casey's comment last chapter. As for this chapter, it gets pretty intense, so I hope you're ready for it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Mexico City, Boys Like Girls, or Life With Derek, but I DO own Julio. Not that that's entirely a good thing.... he's such a creeper.

Chapter 8- A Broken Man

(Derek's POV)

As Casey McDonald's eyes fluttered open, my heart nearly stopped inside my chest. She wasn't supposed to wake up!

Yet a lot of things happen that aren't supposed to, and I think I know that a hell of a lot better than anyone.

I didn't remove my lips from hers, simply because I couldn't. I was so scared of what she was going to say to me, what she was going to do about this, that I simply couldn't convince my nervous limbs to move.

Suddenly, Casey's eyes became very wide, almost as if she realized for the first time that night what was happening, and she shoved.

My whole body went flailing backwards off the bed, so that I was hanging upside down with my head nearly touching the ground. I prayed to God that my feet weren't in her face, (how romantic that would be, Venturi), but I had no way of knowing for sure.

So, I managed to pull myself back onto the bed so that I was sitting in front of a very timid, very awkward looking Casey.

What the hell have I done?

"You're awake," I confirmed, immediately slapping myself in the face for making such a lame comment. Of course she was awake!

This is why I normally don't let myself fall in love. I tend to lose my cool.

"Yeah," Casey replied quietly, looking anywhere but in my eyes.

Boy was this awkward.

"Well, I guess I'll go back to sleep then," I sighed, beginning to climb back up the bed.

Casey sprang off the bed like a bee had just stung her and crossed her arms.

"I guess I'll go sleep in Liz's room tonight," she declared, and my heart plummeted.

Great, I blew it.

"You don't have to," I insisted, looking at her apologetically. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have kissed you."

"Then why did you!?" she asked, outraged. "What could possibly have gone through your head that made you decide to do something like that, Derek!?"

"You talk in your sleep," I sighed. "About me."

Her face grew ashen white, and I immediately regretted my comment. First I had to make her feel awkward, and now I'm pissing her off.

I am so not cut out for this love thing.

"What.. um... d-do I say?" she asked, stuttering. "Whatever it is, I was lying."

"How do you know if I haven't told you what you've been saying?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well, I can guess," Casey muttered. "And it's not true! Any of it!"

"You told me you loved me, and asked me to kiss you," I whispered.

"You're lying!"

"Case, I think you're the one who's lying."

Her eyes dashed nervously around the room, looking for a way out of this uncomfortable conversation.

And then? They filled up with tears.

If there's one thing I hate more than feel good family moments, it's tears.

Casey McDonald's tears, to be exact.

"Case, please don't cry," I begged, grimacing. "I didn't mean to make you so upset! I just wanted to try it."

"Well that wasn't a very good idea, was it!?" she asked, her eyes portraying both anger and sadness. "Derek, we're stepsiblings! We're not supposed to like each other like this!"

"We?" I asked, my heart skipping a beat. "Each other? Case-"

"Just stop!" Casey cried, grabbing her pillow. "Leave me alone, Derek. Please."

"Case-"

"No! I have to go! I'll sleep in Liz and Marti's room, on the floor if I have to, and you go back to bed and pretend this thing never happened, okay?"

"But Casey-"

"Derek, please!" she begged, and I sighed in defeat.

"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow."

As Casey fled the room, tears streaming down her face, I plunged my face into my pillow to muffle my groan.

Why was she being so difficult?

If what Casey had said was true, that 'we' aren't supposed to like 'each other,' then does that mean she has feelings for me, too?

She seemed to be trying way too hard to deny her dreams about me.

Did that mean she loved me too?

Of course not. I'm being ridiculous. Our kiss made her cry, for heaven's sake! People don't cry when you kiss them if they love you.

My love for her was unexpected, unrequited, yet unconditional, nonetheless.

As I fought to contain my own tears, (not that Derek Venturi cries or anything), I attempted to get some sleep.

Unfortunately, I wasn't destined for sleep that night. I ended up getting about five minutes tops before my Dad called to me that breakfast was ready.

Great. That meant I would have to see Casey, and I definitely didn't want that.

I'm sure she wasn't ready for that either.

But maybe, just maybe, seeing her might be a good thing. If she's just as torn up as I am about this thing between us, maybe that means she loves me back!

One thing was for sure. I had to find out.

As I made my way into the kitchen of our little cabin in Mexico City, Nora dropped the news.

"Derek, the family's decided to stay here for the day. Casey isn't feeling well, and we don't want to leave her here alone while she's sick."

"We're not going anywhere today?"

"I'm afraid not."

Just great! Now, there was absolutely no chance of me getting Casey off my mind.

For the first few hours of the day, I slept. At least, I tried to sleep, but my brain wouldn't let me. It was too busy whirring through the many possibilities of Casey liking or hating me.

There's a fine line between love and hate, and I'm pretty sure I've just crossed it. The question is, which side is Casey on?

At around 3 PM, I decided to find out. This was getting ridiculous, and I was pretty sure we both knew it, because the moment I entered Lizzie and Marti's room, which was now Casey's infirmary, she showed no sign of surprise.

"About time," she sighed, sitting up in Lizzie's bed.

"Hey, you could've come to me," I insisted, and Casey rolled her eyes.

"Derek, you started this thing. You're going to be the one to end it."

"End it? Excuse me, Casey, but what if I don't want to end it?!"

"Derek, we have to! We can't be together! Don't you get that?"

"Of course I do, Casey! I know very well that the family will think we're weird, and most of the world will be disgusted by us. Some ignorant fools will even try to call it incest. But we're not related, Case, so it's not so bad!"

"Not so bad!? Derek, how can you say that! You're my step-brother, for crying out loud!"

At this point, our voices were on the verge of a complete shouting match, and I knew neither of us wanted the family to overhear. So, I grabbed a chair and sat by her side, lowering my voice to a whisper.

"Tell me one thing, Case. How do you feel about me?"

Her face turned a sickly green, and she looked as if she were about to throw up. I took this as a good sign.

I was making her nervous. That had to be a good thing.

"Derek, it's not about how I feel-"

"Case, just tell me," I pleaded, my eyes boring into hers. "Do you like me at all?"

"Of course I do!" she sighed, throwing her hands into the air. "When you throw two hormonal, rather attractive teenagers under the same roof, there are bound to be some feelings there."

"I knew it!" I exclaimed, a smile lighting up my face. Immediately, however, I forced it to disappear. "How much?"

"How much what?"

"How much do you like me?" I asked nervously, and she began to fidget.

"On a scale of what?" she asked, and I rolled my eyes.

"Case, don't you even think about backing out of my question. I want to know how much you like me."

"Fine," she sighed, pouting. "A lot, okay? I like you a lot. I always have, ever since you and I teamed up to try and force my mom and your dad to end the engagement. There was something about you, underneath the arrogance, that I found rather sweet."

I beamed. This was like a dream.

Wait. I wasn't dreaming, was I? I hadn't managed to drift off and make this whole conversation up, had I?

Just to make sure, I pinched my arm real hard, and yelped at the pain.

I was awake. This was real!

"But Derek, just because I love you-"

"You love me!?" I cut off, shocked. "You mean it?"

Casey blushed and looked down at her hands, but I refused to let her down easy. Finally, she answered me.

"Yes, I do. But right now, I hate you for putting me through this humiliation."

"The story of our lives," I sighed. "We've always been extremely bad at balancing our love and hate for each other."

"Do you think Mom and George know?" she asked nervously, and I shook my head.

"Case, I didn't even know until we came on this trip. There's no way they could have figured it out. They're not as smart as you are."

Blushing again, she averted her eyes to the wall and frowned.

"You know, this doesn't mean we can date or anything. What happened the other night can never happen again."

And just as it had last night, my heart suddenly found itself in the gutter once again.

"What do you mean? We're in love, Case! How can we not be together!?"

"It's simple. We'll both continue to fight and pretend to hate each other, and then one day, we'll each find someone else. Someone that's not our stepsibling."

"Case, it's not that easy for me to forget about you," I sighed. "Believe me, I've tried."

"Well, you'll have to try harder," she demanded. "This can never work out, and you know it."

"Case, how can you say that!? You can't know anything until we at least try!"

"No, Derek!" she refused. "I told you how I feel about you, but that's all you're going to get. Sometimes Derek Venturi can't get everything he wants."

Boy was that the truth. The one thing I wanted most in the world was to be with Casey, yet she was single-handedly denying me.

"I won't stop loving you," I promised, getting up to leave. "Not in a million years."

"Derek," she pleaded, her eyes filling up again. "Please, just try?"

"Sorry Case. I can't."

And with that, I left Casey alone in her room to dream of all new ways to ruin my life.

If there was one thing I knew for sure, it was that I could never stop loving Casey. Not even if I came across some gorgeous blond in a bikini.

My heart would always belong to Casey McDonald.

Later that night, as I tried to sleep yet again but continued to fail miserably, I heard a sound coming from Casey's old room.

The haunted room.

She wouldn't have been so desperate to stay away from me that she had tried to sleep in there, would she?

Knowing Casey, and how extremely determined she can be, I was sure that she would.

But there was more than enough room on the floor of Liz and Marti's room. Why hadn't she slept in there?

Probably so they wouldn't have to hear her cry. Casey always seems to think of everyone else but herself.

Well, except for when it comes to her feelings about me.

Nervously, I crept out of my room and opened the door to the haunted room an inch, peeking inside.

You will never believe what I saw.

Casey, wearing only her bra and underwear, was desperately attempting to fight off a mysterious figure in the room that I couldn't quite make out.

Whoever he was, he was so going to pay.

Then, as the moonlight shone through the window and lit up her attacker's face, I saw who it was.

Julio.

Grabbing the nearest weapon I could find, which just so happened to be an umbrella that hung on the coat rack a few feet away, I plunged into Casey's room.

"Get away from her!" I warned, pointing the end of the umbrella at Julio.

The stalker merely looked up from where Casey lie struggling on the bed, laughed, and continued to attempt to restrain her.

"Dude, get off of her!" I screamed, jabbing him in the back with the pointy end of the umbrella.

That seemed to do it. Julio leaped off of Casey and faced me with an angry glint in his eye.

"What's Truman still doing here?" he asked angrily.

"I'm not Truman, I'm her step-brother," I admitted. "And you had better leave Casey alone before I really hurt you!"

"Casey, isn't this the same guy that you said is always making you cry?" Julio asked, and I gritted my teeth.

"Derek's a good guy, Julio," Casey answered. "Unlike you."

"If you don't get out of here in the next five seconds, you're going to become lunch for the wolves."

"There aren't any wolves in this part of Mexico!" Julio laughed.

"Oh, believe me. I can arrange it," I insisted.

"How sweet! Your step-brother's trying to play the hero!" Julio laughed, turning to Casey.

"For your information, I'm in love with him!" Casey spat, and Julio's face grew a very unique shade of green.

"You pervert!" he screamed, backing away from her. "What kind of twisted person falls in love with their stepsibling?"

"Me," I answered, smiling.

"You both are disgusting! I'm out of here!"

And Julio launched himself out the open window, onto the grass, and out of our lives forever.

"That was close," Casey sighed, and I looked at her nervously.

"Are you okay?" I asked uncertainly, and she smiled.

"I'm fine," she answered, giving me a hug that I gladly accepted.

"If that guy ever comes near you again, just let me know."

"Don't worry," Casey laughed. "I don't think he's planning on seeing me ever again after tonight."

"See? I told you our relationship could have its advantages," I smiled, and Casey frowned.

"Derek, this still doesn't mean we're a couple."

What?

"What the hell, Case! Are you kidding me!?"

"No, I'm not!" she retorted. "We can't do this, Derek!"

"You know what, I'm getting extremely sick of your mind games!" I growled. "Would you just admit that you want me as much as I want you?"

"Derek, it's not a matter of what we want. It's wrong!"

"I don't care!" I insisted, grabbing her by the shoulders.

She attempted to push me away, but I merely held her to me tighter.

And then, I kissed her.

This kiss was much different than our first, which was an experimental kiss. Right now, I was kissing her with all of the passion I had been feeling for her over the years.

I kissed her as if my life depended on it, which I felt like it did.

And this time?

She actually kissed me back.

My heart soared as I felt her respond with just as much passion, her arms wrapped around my neck in a tight embrace.

We were finally getting somewhere, after all this time.

As she reached for the bottom of my shirt, I traveled my hands down the length of her back, her shirt having already been removed by the stalker earlier.

How dare he take away what was supposed to be my job?

This was the last thought that entered my mind as the door to the not-so-haunted room swung open, revealing Dad and Nora staring in disbelief at their children.

Crap. We were _so_ screwed.


	9. Up Against the Wall

Title: The Soundtrack of My Summer

Spoilers from: Season 4. This chapter has a reference to the episode "How I Met Your Stepbro," so if any of you folks haven't seen it yet, you might not get the allusion. It's probably one of the best S4 eps, though, so check it out!

Summary: It's the summer before Derek and Casey are about to go off to college, so the family decides to spend it in Mexico City. While there, Casey and Derek end up sharing a room, Casey gets a stalker, and Derek figures out just who Casey sees in her dreams.

A/N: Thanks again for all of the amazing reviews! Sadly, this story only has one more chapter left after this one, but I hope you guys have been enjoying it! This chapter switches back to Casey's POV.

Disclaimer: I really, really wish I owned Mexico City, Boys Like Girls, and Life With Derek, but I'm just not that fortunate.

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Chapter 9- Up Against the Wall

(Casey's POV)

I, Casey McDonald, am way too weak for my own good.

As much as I tried telling myself over the last few years that I had no feelings for Derek whatsoever, I just couldn't keep up with the charade.

Derek Venturi, my step-brother, was a force to be reckoned with.

I was actually doing pretty well over the last few days. At least, I thought I was. Even after Derek and I shared our first kiss, I held my ground and wouldn't give in.

Until he kissed me again.

After that, I just couldn't take it anymore. Derek and I were meant to be together, we loved each other, and in that moment, that was all that mattered.

Sadly, my mom and George seemed to disagree.

"Derek!"

As Derek and I leapt away from each other, George stomped across the room and grabbed his son by the shoulders.

"Derek, you lied to me! You told me nothing was going on between you two!"

"Nothing was!" Derek answered truthfully. "Well, at least not then."

"Do you realize what you've done!? Casey is your step-sister, Derek! She's family!"

"Emphasis on the _step_," Derek pointed out. "Casey and I are _not_ family!"

As George and Derek continued to argue, I looked timidly at my mom. She hadn't moved an inch from her position in the doorway, and she hadn't said a word from the moment she and her husband had walked in on Derek and I.

The one thing that was worse than my mother scolding me?

The silent treatment.

"Not only have you gone against my trust, but you've pulled poor Casey in on it! And against my better judgment, Derek, I really thought you cared about her a little more than that!"

"What makes you think this was all Derek's fault!?" I asked angrily, the words sounding extremely familiar.

This was like the night Derek and I had gotten locked in the bathroom all over again.

"Casey, your mother and I both know how honest and intelligent you are," George replied solemnly. "You would never be stupid enough to pull a stunt like this, especially with Derek."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Derek shouted.

"It means that you and Casey have extremely different expectations when it comes to relationships, Derek. You need to understand that you both don't want the same thing here."

"Who says we don't?!" I asked, looking from my mother to George. "Derek may have had some pretty rotten relationships in the past, George, but he's in love with me!"

"Derek doesn't know how to love anyone, Casey," George sighed. "He's just going to hurt you."

"I would never hurt her!" Derek promised. "I know what you're thinking, Dad, and I agree with some of it. Casey deserves someone a lot better than me, but-"

"I do not!" I interrupted, looking at Derek, bewildered. "I couldn't possibly find someone that cares about me as much as you do, or someone that I care about as much as I care about you! In my opinion, there's no one else out there for me but you!"

Tears began to sting my eyes, and I looked at my mother pleadingly. She had still refused to speak, or to move.

Until now.

"Casey, where are the rest of your clothes?"

Stunned and humiliated, I remembered what Julio had tried to do to me.

Derek and I knew how I had gotten like this, but our parents didn't.

"This wasn't Derek's fault!" I shook my head, sheltering my body with my hands.

Derek suddenly appeared beside me with my shirt, which Julio had tossed on the floor, and I wrapped it around me.

"There's this guy that's been stalking me lately," I began, and my mother's eyes grew wide. "He came in here while I was sleeping and tried to assault me."

"Casey, honey, are you okay?" my mom asked me, and I nodded.

"Derek saved me," I whispered, meeting her eyes. "Without him, who knows what could have happened to me."

As my mom began to pace around the room with George, I noticed Lizzie and Edwin appear in the doorway, stunned.

"What's going on?" Liz asked, exhausted.

I immediately grabbed Derek and shoved him in front of me to hide my appearance. Lizzie looked up to me, the same way Edwin looked up to his brother, but she definitely wouldn't find anything respectful about my disheveled outfit.

"Go back to bed!" George ordered angrily, and Edwin grabbed Lizzie by the hand and towed her away.

I simply looked up at Derek, and our eyes met. We were both thinking the same thing.

Neither Lizzie nor Edwin had gone very far.

"Military school!" George declared at last, and I looked at him in shock. "We'll send Derek to military school!"

"Derek is not going into the army!" I shouted, grabbing his hand urgently. "Something could happen to him!"

"Derek has college to attend, George," my mom answered rationally.

"What about sending him to Spain for the rest of the summer?" George asked, and I shook my head again.

There was no way I was letting them separate us ever again.

"They'd still be in the same school in the fall," my mom sighed. "With zero parental supervision."

"Casey, honey, would you mind switching colleges?" George asked, and I narrowed my eyes.

"I'm going to the same college as Derek, and that's that," I declared, and Derek squeezed my hand. "No matter what you guys say, you can't keep us apart any longer."

"Casey, this cannot happen!" George ordered. "I won't allow it! It's wrong!"

"What is right and wrong anyway!?" I asked as tears began to spill down my face. "Derek and I thought that you guys getting married was wrong, and yeah! We tried to stop it! But in the end, we knew that no matter what we thought, the love you two felt for each other was the most important thing!"

Turning to my mother, I continued to speak, my voice shaking.

"Derek and I ultimately knew that we couldn't keep you guys apart, because we wanted you to be happy. Why can't you do the same for us?"

That seemed to work. My mother looked away, apparently ashamed, and even George couldn't find a thing to say.

"George, I think we should go back to our room and discuss this," my mother sighed, and George nodded.

"Casey, get dressed. Derek, stay away from her until we've made up our minds."

"I'm not going anywhere," Derek replied firmly, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "This is where I belong."

George groaned, but finally gave up, following my mom out the door.

Was this a good thing? Could they possibly be reconsidering?

I didn't know what they were saying to each other, but there was one thing I was absolutely sure of.

No one, and nothing, could ever keep me away from Derek.

"Everything's going to be okay," he promised, kissing the top of my head.

I don't know if it was Derek's words, his gentle touch, or some sort of ESP that I had developed, but I suddenly knew that he was right.

"I know it will be," I smiled gently, pecking him on the cheek.

It seemed as if Mom and George were gone for hours, but I was pretty sure that was just my nerves talking. Still, it allowed me enough time to change into something a bit less ripped, and gave Derek and I both the chance to have a word with our very confused younger siblings.

"Casey, does this mean you and Derek are going to get married like Daddy and Nora?"

Laughing, I wiped Marti's hair out of her face as the five of us sat in Lizzie and Marti's room.

"I don't think Derek and I are planning on getting married just yet," I admitted. "But maybe someday. You never know."

"Oh, we knew," Edwin grinned, giving Lizzie a high-five. "Liz and I have been betting on how long it would take the two of you to figure it out."

"I won," Lizzie beamed, and I gaped at her.

"The two of you are okay with this?" I asked, shocked. "Even though Derek and I are step-siblings?"

"Of course," Lizzie smiled, and I shared a shocked expression with Derek. "As long as you're happy, we're happy."

"Plus, maybe you can use your girlfriend powers to make Derek a little nicer to me," Edwin replied, raising his eyebrows.

"I'll get right on it," I grinned, giving my sister and Edwin a hug. "And what about you Marti? Any special requests?"

"Yeah, actually. Now that you're dating Derek, can I start calling you Smasey?"

Laughing, I scooped Marti into my arms and ruffled her hair.

"Of course you can, Smarti."

As the five of us continued to smile at each other, Mom and George made their way into the room, stern and quiet.

"Kids, would you mind waiting in Edwin's room while we talk to your older siblings?"

"Sure, Nora," Edwin grinned, winking at Lizzie and Marti as they skipped out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

Surely, by the time it was opened again, the three of them would be crouched on the opposite side.

"After much consideration, George and I have come to an agreement," my mom spoke. "Although neither of us are very happy about this..."

"And by that, we mean furious," George interjected, and I saw Derek roll his eyes beside me.

"....We have decided that we can't keep you from dating each other."

"Oh Mom!" I squealed, jumping up to give her a hug.

My mom simply placed her hands in front of her, motioning for me to sit back down.

"There's more," she told me, and I sat back on the edge of the bed. "You are forbidden to date while under our roof, but once you go off to college, you can do whatever you want."

"By that, Nora means whatever you want regarding where you want to take each other on a date," George interrupted again. "Movies, dinner, parties, but nothing too private or romantic."

"George," my mother sighed. "They're practically adults. They have the right to choose how they want to spend their free time."

"And I am Derek's father, so I have the right to call him every twenty minutes to make sure he's using that free time wisely."

"Whatever you say," I promised, holding up my hand as if swearing an oath.

"If anything serious arises from this, we'll talk," my mom promised. "And the two of you are responsible for any bullying or harassment you may get when your friends and roommates find out about this."

"Don't care," Derek shrugged. "Everyone has their own dirty little secrets."

"That brings me to my final request," my mom began. "There will be no dirty talk, kissing, or any other form of flirting done in front of us or in front of your younger siblings. I imagine they're all just as disturbed by this new development as George and I."

"Actually, they're totally fine with it," Derek grinned, and my mother and George exchanged looks.

"Where did I go wrong as a parent?" George sighed, and I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Nowhere, George. This was a choice between Derek and I, and I'm really thankful that you guys chose to respect that."

"Not respect, tolerate," George edited, and I rolled my eyes.

"Tolerate," I agreed, giving my step-father a hug, followed by my mother. "I love you, mom."

"I love you too, sweetheart," she sighed, returning the hug. "And be careful, okay?"

"I promise you, she's in good hands," Derek smirked, and I nodded my head in agreement.

"Let's not get carried away now," George warned. "Neither of you know how long this relationship is going to last."

"Oh, I have a feeling it'll last a while," I replied, smiling. "But you're right. We'll just have to wait and see."

"You two have five minutes," my mom told us then. "After that, it's back to bickering step-brother and step-sister for the rest of the summer."

"Though a little less bickering would be nice," George spoke, smiling.

As my mom and George finally left Derek and I alone again, I turned to him in exaltation. Both of us knew that we would somehow get to be together, but we hadn't imagined convincing our parents could be so easy.

"I'm sure we'll have to deal with others like them at college," Derek sighed. "Some people think that they have a right to tell two very in love people how to live their lives."

"But we'll get through it," I pledged, lacing my fingers through his. "Heck, we've already passed the hard part."

"Now it's time for us to have some fun," Derek agreed.

"To the future?" I asked, leaning toward Derek to share our final kiss before the summer's end.

"To the future," he agreed, bending his head and gently placing his lips against mine.

As we shared that final summer's kiss, I was certain of one blissful thing.

As long as I had Derek by my side, my future would be bright, indeed.

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A/N: The last chapter will be up soon, guys! And I think anyone can guess what it's going to be about. :)


	10. Holiday

Title: The Soundtrack of My Summer

Spoilers from: Starting now, basically nothing, except for a short reference to the episodes "Two Kisses, One Party" and "Casey & Ralph!?" This last chapter is set in the future, and seeing none of us know what the future is going to hold for Dasey, all I can say is I pray to God I'm right!!

Summary: It's the summer before Derek and Casey are about to go off to college, so the family decides to spend it in Mexico City. While there, Casey and Derek end up sharing a room, Casey gets a stalker, and Derek figures out just who Casey sees in her dreams.

A/N: All I can say is..... wow! I truly cannot believe the amazing feedback I have been getting from this story! You guys are all incredible, and I thank you SO very much for taking the time to read and review my fanfic! Hopefully I'll be doing a lot more Dasey fics in the future, but for this one? I'm sorry to say, this is the end of the road.

By the way.... I've been wanting so badly lately to make some Dasey videos, but I don't have any clips. If any of you know how I could get some, or are interested in making a vid for this fanfic for me, I would really appreciate it. Dasey rocks!

Disclaimer: For the last time, I do not own Boys Like Girls or Life With Derek.

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Chapter 10- Holiday

(The Family's POVs)

~Nora's POV~

Today was the day. The day that I would finally get to see my daughter for winter break after almost four months of missing her dearly. The day that I would get to hold her in my arms again, cook dinner for her and listen to her sing in that beautiful tone of hers.

But most importantly?

Today was the day that I would finally get to find out how serious my daughter's relationship was with Derek.

Casey hadn't wanted to say much over the phone, but it seemed like things were going well between them. She had only called crying once, and for Casey?

Well, one could say that was a very good sign.

Although I'm still not sure exactly how I feel about my daughter dating her stepbrother, I would never want her to be unhappy.

And if Derek is what makes her happy, then I'll just have to step aside and let cupid do his work.

As Casey stepped through the threshold of her old home, grinning from ear to ear, I shrieked with excitement.

Unless you've ever been a mother, you have no idea how nice it was to see my baby again.

Casey had always been independent, and with her off at college, let's just say I wasn't needed very much anymore. She still called once a day to tell me about college life, and to complain when the workload was too heavy or her classmates were giving her a hard time, but it wasn't the same.

Having her here at home again, hugging me with tears of joy flowing out of her eyes, was like turning back the clock to those few months ago. It seemed as if things had never really changed, and she was the same girl she had been before college took her away.

That is, until Derek followed her through the door carrying four bags, only one of which was his.

~George's POV~

As my son entered the house, I couldn't help but smile. I had missed him so, so much.

Despite all of Derek's old antics - the childish pranks, the lazy attitude, the downright impossible cruelty he had sometimes shown - I had really gotten around to missing him.

Something about a house without Derek seemed almost too quiet to bear.

Of course, I was shocked beyond belief when I saw him carrying three of Casey's stuffed duffel bags. Since when had Derek ever been chivalrous?

He was a changed man, that was for sure. Although I had tried to raise him as a son that would open doors for his girlfriend and buy her roses, I had never gotten through to him.

Well, apparently Casey had.

"Derek!" I sighed, reaching out to hug him.

I was shocked when he smiled and hugged me back, without the slightest hint of discomfort.

He really had changed, hadn't he?

"How's college life?" I asked him proudly, nearly falling over as the words came out of my mouth.

A few years ago, I was certain that Derek didn't care at all about his future, his education, or really anything but girls, hockey, and food.

"It's great! I'm managing straight B's in all of my classes," he replied, smiling.

This time, I actually did fall over.

~Edwin's POV~

As I trampled down the stairs, ready to give my big bro a high-five, I was shocked to find him happily hugging our dad. Hugging.

What had happened to him?

It was then that I heard Derek mention his grades.

Straight B's?

Note to self. Never underestimate the incredible power of Casey McDonald.

Apparently, our dad had. He tripped over one of Casey's bags and fell flat on the ground, stunned but unhurt.

My dad tends to do that a lot.

"Derek made captain of the hockey team," Casey announced proudly, smiling at him with endearment.

Derek actually returned the smile, and it was truly genuine. Not the typical Derek Venturi smirk, but a real smile.

Had Hell frozen over, or had Derek Venturi actually changed for someone else?

"I just kinda found out that I can do a lot when I put my mind to it," Derek grinned, and I raised my eyebrows in alarm.

Then, when he called me over and pulled me in for a hug, I nearly fell over like my Dad.

Either this wasn't the real Derek, or I had a lot of thanking Casey to do.

~Lizzie's POV~

Watching Edwin and Derek hug was like something straight out of a movie. So touching.

Here's how the story would go: Girl meets boy, boy falls in love, girl falls for boy, girl changes boy for the better, and they all live happily ever after.

Throw in a couple of infuriated parents, a step-sibling relationship, a creepy stalker, and a trip to Mexico City and you've got Casey and Derek.

Sure, Derek had tried to change for Sally, and he had a little. However, I think the microwaved ice cream speaks for itself when I say that Derek had not changed much because of that girl.

After dating her, he had still been the same annoying, taunting step-brother that he had been before.

Casey McDonald, my sister, had done the impossible.

She had changed Derek Venturi in a way that no one else could. Into a guy that cares about his family, cares about his future, and isn't afraid to show his sensitive side.

Of course, Casey hadn't asked him to at all. Derek had done it purely out of love for her, even though she would have loved him no matter whether he changed or not.

I wonder if that kind of powerful love works on all of the Venturis?

~Casey's POV~

As Derek and I made our way into our old house, I have to admit I felt a little awkward. The two of us had been madly in love with each other for about six months now, and our parents in no way approved.

But as Derek took my bags up to my room for me, I couldn't help but smile at the shocked expressions on everyone's faces.

Mom seemed completely stupefied, yet also very impressed. It was almost as if she was finally realizing that what Derek and I have is truly meant to be.

George, although he had been tough, was a real softie at heart. I could tell by the shocked look in his eyes that he was proud of his son, and no longer ashamed of what Derek and I had done.

We had found love, and there is nothing anyone can say that will make me feel ashamed about that.

Edwin and Liz seemed admiring, like they always had before, which I had to admit was kind of a shock. I knew they had both expected the relationship, but the fact that they seemed to still look up to Derek and I was incredible, to say the least.

Perhaps these two were aware of a bit more than they were both letting on.

And Marti? I was sad to see that I couldn't find her anywhere!

Was she hiding from us?

But as the youngest of our blended family finally appeared in the arms of my boyfriend (God I love saying that!), I was relieved.

"She was waiting for you in your room," Derek grinned, passing Marti off to me.

I couldn't believe how much she had grown in just a few months. No longer the tiny little girl she had once been, Marti was sprouting like a weed.

"I wanted to ask you something," Marti whispered in my ear, and I smiled.

"Yes, Smarti?"

"Am I still allowed to call you Smasey, or have you and Smerek made a big mistake?"

Giggling, I couldn't help but glance at the rest of the family.

Mom, beaming, had a tear in her eye. And I could guess why.

The picture of Derek and I, standing side by side with a little girl in our arms, must have been a little emotional for her.

Yet, as hard as I tried to find anger or sadness in her eyes, I found nothing but happiness.

For me.

~Derek's POV~

Glancing at my dad, I reached down to lace my fingers through Casey's.

His face remained unchanged. Not one dark shadow crossed his face as I held Casey's hand, and my dad and I shared a smile.

I really, really hope he knows how much that meant to me.

"Smarti, Casey and I haven't made any mistakes. I still love her with all of my heart, and I'm never going to let anything or anyone change that."

"Good! Smasey it is then!"

As my little sister wrapped her arms around Casey's neck, I felt the newly developed compassionate side in me come out.

No, Casey hadn't asked me to change, and even while I was changing she continued to tell me how much she already loved the old me. Yet I still knew that it was the right thing to do.

A little love and hard work had never killed anyone, and I knew it wouldn't kill me.

I did it to prove to Casey how much she meant to me, and I think she got that. Although we've had our ups and our downs, our fights and our incredibly heated kisses, I never once stopped believing that she was the one for me.

And to this day, I still know with every fiber in my being that I, Derek Venturi, was meant to change one day.

It simply took the right person.

~Marti's POV~

Smasey and Smerek are home for Christmas, and I couldn't be more excited! Oh, how I've missed them!

Even though Nora and Daddy argued for hours while they were away about whether it was acceptable, I always knew that Smerek and Smasey were meant for each other.

No one had ever made Derek feel bad about anything until Casey, and no one had ever filled Casey with as much passion as Derek.

As much as the rest of the family used to hate it when they fought, I always knew there was something hidden beneath their screaming at each other.

Still, I hadn't been sure. It had took a lot of prying in order to convince Lizzie and Edwin to show me their research.

They had dedicated an entire binder to the interactions between Casey and Derek.

Of course, they were thrilled when I told them about the hula hoop that Smerek had thrown over her during summer camp a couple of years ago.

That immediately went into the binder as well.

I guess it was that moment that convinced me that Smerek was in love with Smasey, but I wasn't entirely sure that Smasey felt the same way until last summer.

Some people may look at Smerek and Smasey like they're weird, but I think differently.

Smasey and Smerek are the perfect match, no matter what anyone else thinks. And I couldn't be happier for them!

~Nora's POV~

Derek's declaration of love surely wasn't a surprise, especially not after this summer. And the fact that they were still dating was no surprise either.

I was only surprised that I hadn't noticed the attraction between them before.

What kind of mother would I be if I kept my daughter from her true love? If I locked her away in her room and threw away the key?

Casey and I had always had a close relationship, and a move like that would shatter everything.

Things had gotten serious between them, and I wasn't all that surprised about that either. Although marriage was a stretch, I knew that I would agree to whatever it was Casey wanted to do with her life now that she was so incredibly happy.

Some may say that makes me a bad mother, and I can handle that.

I can't help but think, however, that choosing to tear those two apart would be even worse.

~George's POV~

My son, the hockey player. My son, the chick magnet.

My son..... the chivalrous scholar?

It was still a shock to me how much Derek had changed because of Casey. He had gone from a son that I wasn't entirely proud of but still loved to a son that I couldn't admire more.

He had found everything - how to care, how to work hard, how to be a gentleman, and how to truly love someone, - all because he had found Casey.

Maybe Nora and I are cupid, and this odd little twist of fate is just a way of rewarding us for our hard work. We brought the kids together, we tried to rip them apart, and we failed miserably.

Well, one thing was for sure. As much as I had been worried about Derek's treatment of Casey, I had no reason to worry anymore.

There would be no more attempts to break up Casey and Derek ever again.

~Edwin's POV~

After a few hours of family bonding, I still hadn't fully grasped what was going on around me.

Derek was being nice. Casey wasn't freaking out or hiding behind a book. Marti was rattling off words she had learned in school that even I had never heard of. Lizzie was smiling at me, even though she and I had been fighting constantly lately.

And Dad and Nora?

They were grinning from ear to ear, perfectly content with the world.

Maybe love has a funny way of working out, even for normally inconsiderate guys like my brother.

Maybe someday, in some sort of weird chain of events, I would find love too.

~Lizzie's POV~

It took Casey quite a while to figure out that I still respected her, but once she did, I had never seen her so relieved.

I guess my opinion means just as much to her as her opinion means to me.

Still, I don't think Casey had any idea why I understood her so well. How could she, after being away for so many months while the situation unfurled?

In case you're still confused, let me spell it out for you.

Just like Casey, I too had fallen in love over the summer. And, just like Casey, I had fallen for someone that should not have meant more to me than a brother means to a sister.

No, Edwin doesn't know, and I don't plan on telling him just yet. But maybe, on our next family vacation, cupid might have something planned for us.

Poor Mom and George. They're going to flip their lids.

~Derek's POV~

Tonight, I think my prayers were finally answered.

The entire family was happy, Nora and Dad included. No one seemed the least bit uncomfortable with Casey and I, and I was almost too shocked to believe it could be true.

Everything was coming together in my life.

I was a hockey star at college, I was doing extremely well in my classes, and I had the most incredible girlfriend in the world.

Surely, I didn't deserve a life this great.

But I'll take it.

~Casey's POV~

My life could not be more amazing. Honestly, I've seen plenty of Romcoms and fairy tales, but none of them turned out like this.

My happily ever after kicks all of the other happily ever afters' butts.

Sure, for a while I had been uncertain about Derek and I being together. I was worried about what my roommates would think, what my friends would think, basically what the entire world would think!

But when the unavoidable finally happened and Niki and Savannah, my two roommates, walked in on Derek and I kissing, they were totally cool with it.

Actually, they were more than cool. They were supportive, begging for the details on how this whole thing came about.

That was when I realized one very important fact about my life. And to this day, I still believe in this with all of my heart.

The way I see it, Derek and I are two people who fell in love.... just a little too late.

But we sure as hell won't let that stop us.

~Marti's POV~

Tonight, as I finally went to bed after a long and exciting day, I couldn't help but sing.

Casey says I have an amazing voice, but that's what they all say when you're little.

Still, I couldn't help myself. I burst into songs of love as I crawled into bed next to Sir Monksalot.

I had known it all along, but no one ever listens to me.

Maybe now they will.

Unfortunately, this whole thing took a little too long for my taste. Had Smasey and Smerek admitted their love for each other years ago, we wouldn't have had to deal with so much fighting!

Which reminds me, Edwin and Liz have been fighting a lot lately. Perhaps it runs in the family?

This time, I won't let years of unrequited love go by. Not when Marti Venturi's on the case!

I would start planning tomorrow. For now, it was time to sleep.

But not before wishing every person interested in hearing my story......

MERRY DASEYMAS!

* * *

A/N: Well, that's it folks! The last hoorah! I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it! Although it's too bad I didn't plan this fic to end on Christmas.... how perfect would that have been!?


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